Category: Health

The Benefits of Outdoor Exercise

You’re going to say “no way!”

Years ago I switched from being a “gym rat” to an outdoor exerciser. I remember it well.  I looked around at the flourescent lighting and the hamster wheels (“cardio” equipment) and said to myself “I’m done!”.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re a personal trainer. That’s not possible!

Please don’t get me wrong. Gyms are a great place to exercise and I am a huge fan of indoor cardio equipment — especially when it is raining! I just realized that I live in California. The weather is great most of the time. And, what the heck was I doing inside exercising?

My dogs led the way!

At the time, I had overworked and over-trained myself and was dealing with low energy as well as depression.  I wasn’t up for super intense workouts so I left the gym and started walking my dogs every night.

The transformation was amazing! I got my energy back — and my enthusiasm. I also realized that you do not have to beat your body to a pulp in a gym to be fit.

I realize that not everyone is where I was at. However, sooner or later everyone deals with stress in their life.

Research Confirms it!

A recent review of studies published in Environmental Science & Technology that focused on “outdoor exercise” discovered that physical activity in natural areas decreases the risk of mental illness and improves one’s sense of well-being.

Here’s what the researchers found:

  • Two out of three participants said they had improved self-esteem.
  • Two out of three people had improved mood.
  • Three out of four people felt less depressed, tense and angry.

It gets better! The study found that just five minutes a day does the trick!

Here’s what else they said:

Exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and positive engagement, as well as decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression.

Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.

This may explain why walking is still the number one exercise of choice for Americans. We like to be active and outdoors. Even more important, we tend to exercise more consistently when it is outdoors!

Here’s how to get started:

So what does this mean for you? If you already exercise outdoors, you are benefiting in multiple ways. If you are just getting started, start with five minutes of outdoor exercise to improve psychological well-being. Work up to twenty minutes and you have now started an exercise routine!

You will get more value from consistent shorter bouts than inconsistent hour-long workouts.

Here’s some ways to get started:

  • Walk at lunch
  • Walk after dinner
  • Play in the park
  • Take a hike
  • Walk on the beach
  • Try light jogging
  • Play a sport
  • Swim
  • Walk your dog

If you really like the gym, do not stop! Consider cross training with some outdoor activities. It doesn’t have to be formal exercise. Just being outdoors is what matters!

With summer here and so much positive research behind outdoor activity, I encourage you to get creative this summer. Try new activities. Visit new beaches and parks. Turn off the screens and get outside!

Let me know what you come up with. I love to hear from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer


 

 

Eat Out AND Still Lose Weight!

In my last article  How Meal Planning Helps You Lose Weight, I mentioned that the average American eats out four to five times per week. This habit can sabotage your weight loss efforts. Even worse, it can cause you to gain weight! 

But what if you’re unable to change that?

I realize that you may be someone who travels a lot, goes out for business, would rather not cook, or you simply enjoy going out to eat.

It IS possible to eat out and lose weight if you follow some simple guidelines. Here are four effective strategies.

1) Business is Business.  When eating out to conduct business of any type keep it low-calorie. Unless it is a major celebration, this is not the time to splurge!

Make sure it’s a balanced meal. Pick grilled meats, simple salads, steamed or raw vegetables, and whole grains whenever possible. Avoid skipping carbs entirely or you will be hungry later.  For tips on portion sizes click here.

Portion sizes can be two to three times what you need in some restaurants. Eat slowly and when you begin to feel full, box it up or leave it on your plate.

Before ordering, check the menu for the lighter fare. Many restaurants are including nutrition facts on their menus now. Substitutions are becoming more popular. For example, we’re seeing options for using whole wheat pasta instead of white.

Foods that are breaded, cheesy, fried, or have cream sauces should be avoided when possible. They are packed with calories!

Skip dessert when eating out for business. Focus on the business and keep the food secondary.

Pack your suitcase.  When I travel for business I bring packets of oatmeal, nuts, and dried fruit with me. It’s an easy meal you can make in your hotel room for breakfast. Pick up a yoghurt at the coffee shop if you want a little extra protein.

Bring snacks that are single servings. You can find single serving packages of nuts, and many hotels have complimentary fruit.

If you’re driving to your hotel it’s even easier. Bring a small bag of groceries to keep in your room!

2)  Fast Food. I usually avoid fast food. However, sometimes the occasion comes up and I find myself in a fast food restaurant. Fortunately, there are much healthier fast food restaurants to choose from these days.

If you find yourself in this situation, I would much rather you pick the healthiest, low calorie choice you can find, than starve yourself.  That is worse for you in the long run.

Here is a great list of sandwiches to skip courtesy of WebMD. They have included the better choices as well!

3)  Pick and choose!  If you are a social butterfly and go out for fun multiple times per week, start paying close attention to how you order. Use the same principles listed above for business. Then, pick one night per week to splurge.

Get to know your menus at your favorite places. Start entering the calories for your normal choices into a calorie tracker. This will help you decide what you want to order before you get to the restaurant.

Split dishes with fellow diners. This allows you to taste more food without over doing it.

4)  Exercise! If you are someone who eats out often you will have a better chance of losing weight and maintaining it if you exercise daily.

Try these options:

  • Walk to the restaurant
  • Hit the hotel gym for 30 minutes
  • Sneak in time at the office gym at lunch or after work
  • Walk at lunch
  • Walk in the evenings
  • Do early morning work outs

I hope these tips are helpful. It is possible to lose weight when eating out often. However, you do need to pay extra attention to what you eat, and make an effort to burn the extra calories.

Tell me about your favorite restaurant meal or calorie reducing tips while eating out! I love to hear from you! 

Blessings!

Jennifer

 

 


 

 

How Water Helps You Lose Weight

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Everyone tells you to drink more water and how you could die in a short time without it! I know what you’re thinking: “blah blah blah!” Boring, right? Hang on. It really does play a key part in weight loss. Let me explain.

Now before you start chugging down a couple gallons of water, hear me out! You don’t need that much.

Water does help you lose weight! Here’s how:

  • Two glasses of water prior to a meal helped middle aged and older adults feel full longer, research studies found.
  • Cuts out a ton of calories when you replace your regular beverage with water!
  • Guess what? A hydrated body looks leaner. Why? Because when you’re dehydrated, you retain water. Yikes!
  • I bet the magazine rack has at least one headline screaming “Rev up your metabolism with this one trick!” Well, here’s a good one. Just drink enough and your body will be able to metabolize properly. When you’re dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. We all know what that means for weight loss!

So how much water should you be drinking?

It depends.  The suggested guidelines for water consumption used to be sixty-four ounces per day.  While it is still a good amount of water for some, others may need more. Here are some guidelines to help you decide:

Drink more when you are in situations where your body loses water:

  • in warmer climates,
  • during more intense exercise,
  • at high altitudes.

Try to be more aware of your water intake:

  • if you’re the type of person who usually doesn’t notice thirst; or
  • when you are very busy and likely to forget to drink.
  • If you talk for a living.  Water is lost though saliva.
How do you know when you’re drinking enough water?
  • The best way to tell if you are hydrated is the color of your urine.  Clear to pale yellow is ideal. Yellow to dark yellow means you need water, and if it looks like tea or beer you are dehydrated!  Supplements can also cause urine to be dark yellow. So keep that in consideration.
  • Start by drinking a half ounce for each pound of your body weight.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink seventy-five ounces of water throughout the day.
  • Avoid allowing yourself to get “thirsty”.  If you are getting a thirst signal then the body is already too low on water!

Five tips to increase your fluid intake:

1) Have a water bottle in your car, at your desk, or in your bag, and sip it throughout the day.

2) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables!

(3) Replace soda with sparking water.  If you like sparkling water, consider getting an in home soda machine. They take up very little counter space. You also save money and there are less bottles to recycle. This helped my husband Matthew go from not liking water to drinking plenty of it!

4) Add fruit or cucumber to your water for flavor.

5) Have water with every meal.

At first it may seem like you have to go to the bathroom a lot. This is normal when you up your water consumption. It is not uncommon to have to use the restroom every hour.

If you sit at a desk, this will encourage you to get up and move every hour. It also allows you to monitor your progress!

Here is a fun recipe for Raspberry water courtesy of Face Magic in Albany, CA.

Raspberry Water

  • 1 Pitcher of Water
  • 1 bag of Frozen Organic Raspberries
  • Place the raspberries in the water and allow it to turn the water a pinkish red color.  Pour in nice glasses and enjoy!

I hope this helps you with your weight loss and management program.  Please feel free to comment below or ask me a question.

I’m going to go get a glass of sparkling water!

Blessings!

Jennifer Ledford