Why Some Exercise is Better Than No Exercise

If you are like most people who struggle to lose weight, one thing you might hate is exercise. Sometimes, it is difficult to get the motivation to go out and get the exercise, because, well, exercise is not exactly pleasant. Other reasons might be: low energy, just being too busy, not being able to afford the membership at your local health club, or just plain laziness.

But you know what? In order to lose weight, exercise is very important, if not critical. However, exercise does not need to be painful, unpleasant, or time consuming. There are different types of exercise which you might find very enjoyable, and there are ways to exercise that don't take up too much time...you just have to get out there and do it. Here is a very important principle you need to learn regarding exercise:

Some exercise is better than no exercise at all.

You don't have to be a fitness guru to benefit by from exercise, and you don't have to run a marathon every day to get in shape. Believe it or not, one simple way to get in shape is walking...and walking only a few times a week is much more beneficial than doing nothing at all. Consider the following example:

Suppose the only exercise you have time for is walking 3 times a week, for 15 minutes at a time. How would this benefit you?

You can burn about 75 calories for every 15 minutes you walk.

If you walked 3 times a week, that's 225 calories per week.

225 calories per week is 875 calories per month.

875 calories a month is10,500 calories year.

10,500 calories a years is 105,000 calories every 10 years!

That's just 15 minutes a day! Just imagine how many calories you'll burn with 30-45 minutes a day!

Once you start walking, you might find that you enjoy it so much that you'll end up walking for much longer than 15 minutes - maybe even up to an hour. The health benefits are amazing too: walking is great for your heart, and can even make you feel stronger!

Now, most fitness professionals recommend that you walk for at least 45 minutes to get maximum cardiovascular benefits. Always consult a physician before doing any kind of exercise, and make sure to walk in a safe place, at a safe time in the day. You might not lose a ton of weight walking, but walking on a regular basis will help you develop good exercise habits, help you burn calories, and get you started on the path to help you achieve your fitness goals.

There are many other ways to exercise. You can ride a bike, roller blade, jog, or swim. The point is to go out there and do some kind of exercise you can enjoy on a regular basis.