Consistency is key
One of the biggest traps my patients fall into when it comes to fitness is trying to cram a week’s worth of exercise into two days over the weekend. Not only does this weekend warrior approach increase your risk of injury, but it’s just not all that effective. It gives your body too much “down time” between workouts, during which your body is likely storing fat, instead of burning it.
You’re much better off getting 20 minutes or so of physical activity each day (or at least most days of the week).
And, again, it doesn’t have to be an intense, sweat-filled workout. In fact, it’s simpler than you might think to work physical activity into your day. Yard work and cleaning the house both count. So does playing golf, if you walk the course instead of taking a cart. And, of course, an evening walk is one of the easiest things you can do to make sure you’re getting some activity every day.
(But here’s a quick tip–skip the pedometers! Unfortunately, they’re not very accurate. It’s better to aim for a certain number of minutes, rather than steps.)
This consistent approach will help stabilize your blood pressure, your blood sugar, and your weight.
And the benefits of that go way beyond your test result numbers. You’ll be better able to lift groceries out of the car, carry the grandkids, turn your head when backing down the driveway–all those small activities that you take for granted, until you suddenly can’t do them anymore.