You Don’t Have to Work Out for Hours to Reap the Rewards

I have gained more weight over the years than I’d like to admit, and more often than not I find myself easily distracted from my exercise routine. I am a lazy exerciser. Getting myself to don sports clothes, tie back my hair
and get to the gym is practically mission impossible, even when I was working right on the campus of the OFJCC!

But when I do squeeze in some exercise, the benefits are always almost immediate.  It would be unrealistic to expect to just drop the pounds and melt the fat away, but I do almost instantly feel stronger and more energized. When I finally get into a routine, I find exercising much easier, especially when I start to feel and see results.

For many years, I thought that if I didn’t have the time to do a full workout then I shouldn’t bother going to the gym. So instead of working out for the amount of time I had, I didn’t exercise at all. I now regret not squeezing in ten minutes here, thirty minutes there!

After reading several articles on the benefits of even short amounts of exercise I decided to experiment with quick workouts. I now do 15-20 minutes of cardio, incorporating intervals, followed by 10 minutes of weights: upper body one day and lower body another day. I choose different cardio machines based on my mood and energy level and I love watching TV on the machines while squeezing in my workout.  Even this short routine has helped stabilize my weight and keeps my cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. During the rare weeks I also manage to find the willpower to follow a healthy eating routine I even lose weight. (But I’m not always so disciplined. I am a self-proclaimed sugar addict and have never eaten a cookie I didn’t like.)

Since the OFJCC has certified nutrition specialists on-staff who can provide meal planning as well as dietary education, making an appointment with one of them is now high on my list of things I must do.

The truth is that diet and exercise really are the keys to losing weight, staying fit and being healthy. I love that the OFJCC environment promotes exercise and a healthy lifestyle even for people like me who aren’t always gung-ho exercisers or healthy eaters!

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