Day 5: Choose Your 30 x 3 Exercise | 30-Day Weight Loss-athon
Welcome to Day 5 of the 30-Day Weight Loss-athon.
Today we’ll be committing to — dun dun DUN! — an exercise program!!
Read the steps first, then take 10 minutes to complete them.
We only have 10 minutes, so move fast, act quickly and stop over-thinking. Just throw yourself in. Ready?
What You Need:
- Your diary.
Important Note: Get medical clearance if you need it
It’s a good idea to get the all-clear to exercise from your medical professional if:
- You’re new to exercise
- You haven’t exercised in a long time
- You’re significantly overweight
- You have a medical condition or concern
- You’re nervous about exercising.
Step 1
The first step today is to have a little talk with yourself and make peace with the idea that you are going to become a regular exerciser.
That might be something you’re OK with already. Cool – then this will be pretty easy.
Or it could fill you with dread and panic. In which case, take a deep breath because I’m going to let you in on a secret – one that anyone who’s ever lost weight will confirm if you ask them.
As you start to lose weight, you start to enjoy exercising. It may seem hard to believe now, but it’s true.
So comfort yourself that soon, a kind of pleasure will start to kick in. Maybe not a rocking good time, but a definite this-isn’t-so-bad-ness. You just have to get past the beginning.
Step 2
Next, let’s find out what you like and don’t like, workout-wise. Some questions can help:
- Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors?
- Do you like to work out alone or in a group?
- Do you prefer high or low impact activities?
- Do you prefer a consistent or varied pace?
- Do you want to start easy or be immediately challenged?
- Do you prefer music, TV, or your own thoughts when you exercise?
- Do you feel most energetic in the morning, afternoon or evening?
Once you’ve considered your answers, you’ll find it easier to choose a type of exercise that will suit you.
Step 3
Bearing in mind those preferences from Step 2, you need to:
- Choose something active
- Be prepared to do it for at least 30 minutes at a time
- Be prepared to do it at least 3 times a week.
In total, that’s 1.5 hours a week. Less than a movie.
If you feel resistance welling up and find yourself formulating excuses why you can’t spare 1.5 hours a week, then gently remind yourself that:
- This amount of exercise is a small price to pay for looking good, feeling good and getting healthy
- If you don’t exercise, you run the risk of all sorts of expensive problems that will cost you a lot more time in the long run
- People with greater time pressures and more weight to lose than you have done it, and you can do it too
- There are wonderful rewards waiting for you, as you identified on Day 1.
Choose from the list below, or feel free to add something else. Just be sure your choice raises your heart rate and makes you sweat. Pilates, yoga and shopping can be added extras, but they generally don’t burn enough calories to be good weight-loss choices.
- Walking – brisk
- Walking – hills
- Running
- Jogging
- Skipping (with a rope)
- Cycling – outdoor
- Cycling – stationary
- Elliptical machine
- Treadmill
- Boxing
- Exercise classes – including step, combat, attack,
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Dance classes
- Sports that raise your heart rate and make you sweat – eg tennis, squash etc
- Exercise DVD.
Step 4
Now the part that makes all the difference.
Enter your exercise sessions for the rest of the month in your diary. Yep – put them right in there, at the times you’ll do them.
You’ve just made exercise dates with yourself. Please don’t be rude and stand yourself up.
Bonus Step For 52 Weight Loss Missions Members
Revisit Mission 9: Fit Exercise Into Your Life to remind yourself how to see exercise sessions as commitments. Prepare your answers for those times you’ve scheduled an exercise session and your boss/colleague/friend says, ‘Can you [stay late/attend a meeting/go out]’?
Check in!
And you’re done!
Be sure to leave your comment below to check in and stay accountable. If you’re reading this by email or in a reader then please click here to leave your comment.
See you tomorrow!
I started wearing a pedometer. Setting some goals to increase my activity.
Ok, I’m in, late but still committed and wondering how I’m going to handle the days I have to miss, but I will find a way!
I have walked 3 hours and 30 minutes to dvds this week. I will be walking more!
Cycling to work (30mins twice a week); one dance class per week (45 mins); One walk/run per week (45mins). All scheduled.
I have some catching up to do since we’ve had a crazy week due to a funeral. Tomorrow is catchup day!
going away over the holidays, still need to work out a walking/exercise plan.
Checking in! I’ve already been exercising regularly, but will def be continuing!
Too easy, already have a permanent zumba date, the rest are easy to slot in! I already love exercise and do it regularly 🙂
Just recently saw a fitness article using a hula hoop…. going to get mine this weekend and start feeling like a teenager again. Time for this girl to get silly.
I am committed to exercise by walking every day for 15 minutes to start. I will increase the amount of time walking as I improve.
I’ve been exercising regularly since January (treadmill, recumbent bike, machines, etc) at the gym. I’ve been sick for 10 days and now my asthma is acting up. I’ll resume as soon as I fell better. Did walk 2 miles today.
I walk every day, for however long I can. I do pilates three times a week. Once I find a job I will join a gym and work on strength and balance.
Going to try to get 30 minutes on Wii as many days as the munchkins allow. Thinking I’ll try to go to the walking track with the double stroller to carry baby and toddler on pretty days.
I’m committed to going to the gym 3 times instead of 2 every week! I think the 3rd time I will try something new like a zumba class – I keep hearing they’re super fun and motivating!
I am already on Week 3 of the Jillian Micheals Body Revolution challenge. So this one was easy! Add to that my FitBit which really gets you moving as you check your steps!
O kay this is where my plans always get bogged down. Great intentions, then procrastination sets in. I’ll hve to work up to 30 minutes. my knees just won’t take that long right now. but maybe ten or fifteen is better than none at all.
Once I am out exercising, I love it. But I am also good at finding excuses. My husband and I are starting to challenge one another to exercise daily, so if I get a good walk in, he has to get a good run in. Makes for a fun competition. 🙂
I am committed to do 3x a week. I realize I do better with company, so for one of the exercise times I will be doing a brisk walk with my husband. This is good for us time and exercise. 🙂
well I am setting up the calendar dates and I hope I will be able to do it.
Thankfully exercise is not my struggle! I currently use my lunch hour at work to do a 30-40 minute DVD as well as running three days a week. I also love to bike, Zumba, swim and play exercise games on the Wii (I love the Exerbeat game for the Wii).