Posted Jan 8, 2013
Today, many people will begin to pursue New Year’s resolutions related to health and fitness.
We asked Rebecca Roberts, director of health and well-being at The Springfield Family YMCA, for tips on how you can change your fitness routine and diet in achievable ways in 2013.
Fitness tips
— Sweat for 30 minutes each day. Do exercises like Zumba and biking to work up a sweat. “Make yourself sweat, and you will see results,” Roberts said.
— Do two miles of exercise daily. You could walk, run or bike for two miles each day. When you’re ready, challenge yourself to do more. “Slowly work from two miles to five miles of activity a day,” Roberts said.
Diet tips
— Limit your sodium. Don’t add salt to your meals, and get in the habit of eating less salty foods. When you go out to eat, keep in mind that meat, seafood, soup and cheese sauces are foods that may contain a lot of salt. At the grocery store, avoid purchasing salty potato chips, cheeses and frozen dinners. “Over time, your body will train itself, and you won’t crave it as much,” Roberts said of salt.
— Don’t overeat. Eat until you’re full, and then stop. This is especially important right before bedtime, as you won’t have a chance to burn off those extra calories before going to sleep. “If you overeat, you are going over your daily limit of calories,” Roberts said. “It’s the hardest thing to lose weight when you keep eating more. … If you are overeating, especially the closer you get to bedtime, the calories just sit there.”
— Limit your stress. Keep in mind that stress may cause people to overeat, so take steps to make your days as stress free as possible. “Food tends to be a comfort for us,” Roberts said. “The more planned out and organized your day can be, the less you will overeat.”
©2012 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)
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