Thursday, January 29, 2009

Eating Right And Exercising For A Healthier Future

By Bradley J. Teele

If you're not getting results from a new diet or workout program, there may be other ways for you to maintain a healthy weight. Getting fit and healthy doesn't require expensive nutritional supplements or deprivation diets, and experts say you'll need a healthy plan for long-term health and fitness so you don't gain weight as you age.

The Prevention Magazine's book called 'No Fail Fitness Tips' says that there are techniques to avoid decline of body metabolism even as we gain age. It talks about taking constant resistance training alongside regular and nutritious meals. In addition, it presented ways necessary to combat weight gain as one ages and encounters fitness problems, such as:

Walk more. Walking is one of the simplest and most effective calorie-burning exercises that is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. You don't have to undertake a formal walking program in order to get results; you can just start walking more by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from the office and doing more errands on foot than by driving. Walking helps increase circulation and helps keep core muscle groups active and healthy.

Choose snacks that are high in protein. Having a small portion of meals each day and taking some protein-rich snacks will help the body's metabolism function optimally. Aside from that, snacks that are rich in protein like mozzarella cheese sticks and low-fat yogurt are effective in controlling one's appetite. This can eventually keep your appetence in check and excessive eating naturally becomes less intense.

Exercise at the same time each day. Set aside a block of time each day specifically for a 30-45 minute exercise session and make sure you do it at the same time every day. Making exercise a part of your regular day makes it easier to stick with any type of fitness regiment for the long-term, and will help you keep your metabolism running at steady pace throughout the day.

Stop thinking about 'good' and 'bad' foods. Changing a lifetime of negative eating habits can be hard, but making simple shifts in your attitude towards food can help you in the short and long term. Instead of avoiding or eliminating certain types of food from your diet, make a conscious decision to simply eat smaller portions of all foods so that you are staying within your daily calorie limit but not suffering from deprivation in the process.

Have a quality sleep. Enough rest and deep sleep can keep you away from binging and thus speeds up your metabolism. At least seven to eight hours of sleep everyday is necessary to stay physically and mentally healthy.

When you know how to incorporate even a few but consistent changes in your lifestyle, it becomes easier to achieve health and fitness goal particularly in terms of reducing the probability of gaining excessive weight, as you grow older. Putting in mind the strategies mentioned here, practicing, and including them in your daily routine may take you to a different level towards a healthy outlook and well-being. - 15465

About the Author: