Exercising Intuition For Weight Loss

JUST FOR TODAY:  Be intuitive with your fitness plan, and check in with your body's needs for exercise.  Choose the type of activity that you are "craving."

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and being a healthy weight.  But if your fitness plans are too regimented, you risk becoming compulsive with exercise, which is a form of bulimia (using exercise as a means to purge).  You may also swing to the other extreme and abandon exercise altogether, because you dislike the forced routine.  To enjoy a truly healthy fitness plan – and to maintain a healthy weight – try exercising intuition.  When it is your planned time for a workout, check in with your body about the type of activity that your body is "craving."  Do your muscles want to move in strong bursts of energy (strength training)?  Do you want to walk, run, bike, swim, dance, or otherwise get your body moving and heart pumping (cardiovascular activity)?  Do you muscles need to stretch and relax (flexibility)?  Do you need a day of rest?  By honoring your body's needs, you add variety to your workouts and enhance your overall fitness.  This is a key to long-term health and weight loss success!

©2010 by "Dr. Dorie" McCubbrey, M.S.Ed., Ph.D. – Eating Disorder & Obesity Treatment Specialist – Denver, Colorado