As You Lose Weight, Exercise Your Interests

Posted: Nov 26 in Lifestyle and Activity by Staff

Explore fun activities to stay interested in exercise after bariatric surgery

To lose weight in Albany or Macon and keep it off, you’ll need much more than just a healthy diet. Though weight loss surgery will give you the tools you need to lose weight, regular exercise is crucial if you hope to maintain long-term weight loss. Unfortunately, many of us don’t enjoy working out, and this can make it difficult to get the exercise we so sorely need.

If you find yourself dreading your workouts more than you anticipate them, it can make every session feel like a chore, and this will do no good for your weight loss goals. To stay interested exercise as you lose weight, it’s important fill your workouts with activities you enjoy rather than just sweating it out in silence on an exercise bike or treadmill.

Using your workouts to explore interests can keep you motivated on the task at hand, but it can also help you find new hobbies and spend some time on activities you’ve always wanted to try. Because there are endless workout options, you should have no trouble finding something worth exploring. Just take some time to think of physical activities you’ve always dreamed of trying, or something you long ago loved to do.

You don’t have to limit yourself to one thing—switching up your routine regularly is a great way to keep yourself motivated. As you lose weight in Albany or Macon, try one of these activities on for size:

• Dance. Taking a dance class is a great way to burn some calories, learn about another culture and learn some killer new moves. In addition to helping you build whole-body strength and flexibility, dance can be a window into a different world, especially if you take a class in something unfamiliar like bhangra or tango. The music will keep you moving and the group atmosphere can be a lot fun—you may even make a few new friends!
• Martial arts. In addition to providing a great workout, martial arts classes can teach you valuable self-defense skills. Most martial arts have both physical and mental elements and can be as invigorating for your mind as they are for your body. Lessons are best if you hope to get acquainted with any martial art, but classes in judo, karate and countless others are available in most cities, so give one a shot to see if it will work for you.
• Meditation. No, sitting on the ground whispering a mantra won’t give you much of a workout, but some forms of meditation are much more physical. Ancient Eastern practices like qigong and tai chi may not be as vigorous as the martial arts above, but their slow, steady movements can be both a good workout and a valuable stress-reducing technique. Yoga is also a good choice for relaxing the mind and strengthening the body.

When you decide how you want to work out after weight loss surgery, don’t limit yourself to the same old boring options of the average gym-goer. As you lose weight in Albany or Macon, get more out of exercise by trying something new and exciting!