Fifteen minutes of walking during lunch, then resistance training after work, two or three times a week, is all that is needed, she said. Aerobic exercise is excellent, but weight resistance helps build and keep muscle mass, and keeps metabolism up, Anderson said. The higher a person s metabolism, the greater the calorie burn, she explained. Again, sensible goals are a key to success, Anderson said. You have to build up to greater levels, she said.
People tend to do too much, then they hurt and give up.
Always stretching and warming up before exercising will help increase flexibility and cut down on stiffness, Anderson said. Another pitfall of using weight to measure weight-loss progress is that people hit plateaus, or periods of very little or no weight loss. All these are, are times when your body s metabolism is adjusting to a different diet or an exercise routine. It is normal and to be expected. But a lot of people get discouraged when they see a time of little weight loss, and then quit altogether, she said.