Be Spokane’s Biggest Loser – No Contest!

Did you ever feel like Spokane’s Biggest Loser – but not in a positive way? Obesity can increase your risk of chronic disease, reduce your ability to exercise, and wreck your self-esteem. Here are three steps to becoming the winner you’ve always wanted to be:

• Start small. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for five to 10 minutes without getting overly tired.
• Be consistent. Try 10 minutes in the morning – every morning. As your stamina improves, increase the amount of time you exercise by one to five minutes a session. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
• Be creative. Besides the usual walking, running, cycling or rowing, try something new. Ask yourself what you’d like to do if you were as fit as you’ve always wanted to be. Then find small ways to do it. Maybe you can’t run a marathon (yet), but you can run around your back yard. Maybe you’re not a ballroom dancer, but you can dance like nobody’s watching during commercial breaks from TV.

WIN SPOKANE’S BIGGEST LOSER – NO CONTEST!

It’s easy to say that you’ll exercise every day. It’s also easy to rationalize why you didn’t do it. “I got busy” or “My child was sick” or “The in-laws came into town.”

Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment. That way, you’ll be sure to make it! We rarely treat others as poorly as we treat ourselves.

Varying your activities (cross-training) can keep boredom away. You should plan to alternate exercise using different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.

Many people start exercising with frenzied zeal — working out too long or too intensely — and give up when their muscles and joints become sore or injured. Plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.

If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard. If you’re not feeling well, give yourself permission to take a day off.

SPOKANE’S BIGGEST LOSER GETS STARTED – NOW!

Creativity helps here as well. If you’re planning to invest in exercise equipment, shop around until you find something practical, enjoyable and easy to use. If you’re concerned about expense, consider buying used equipment. Make your own weights by filling old socks with pennies, or by milk jugs with sand.

Take a personal fitness assessment before you begin, and again after six weeks. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals.

If you lose motivation, exercising with a friend or taking a class at a fitness center may help. For some, the coaching of Spokane’s professional personal trainer Zach Hunt may be exactly what they need to get over the hump and truly become Spokane’s Biggest Loser – No Contest!