Exercise will become a regular aspect of your life following weight loss surgery. In Albertville and Guntersville there are gyms, hiking trails and parks where you can get outside and become more active. At first, the excitement of starting a new workout program may encourage you to work steadfast toward your goals. But sometimes this initial excitement wanes, and it is up to you to develop personal strategies that will keep you on track with your weight loss efforts.
Weight loss isn’t the only reason to exercise regularly. Just as following a healthy diet can reduce your risk of certain health conditions, exercising regularly can impact your life in a variety of ways.
By incorporating regular exercise into your lifestyle, you can:
- Increase your lung capacity—improving your endurance to walk long distance, tend to your yard or play with pets or children.
- Build muscle—helping you to more easily tend to household tasks, move furniture or carry groceries.
- Improve flexibility—making it easier to move around, tie your shoes or get in and out of chairs or automobiles.
- Improve sleeping habits—helping you to have more natural energy and wake each morning feeling more refreshed.
With so many benefits, it is generally worth the effort to find ways to incorporate more activity into your day. There are two ways you can do this:
- Planned exercise: This includes aerobic, strength training or flexibility training activities that are deliberate and part of a work-out.
- Incidental activity: This is the type of activity you engage in throughout the day, such as while walking around the office or taking the stairs while shopping.
Increasing the amount of activity in your life in both of these areas can help you develop a fitter lifestyle after bariatric surgery. In the early weeks and months after weight loss surgery a majority of your exercise may be incidental activity. You may even consider wearing a pedometer and challenging yourself to take more steps each day as you go about your day at the office, running errands and taking care of the house.
Once your weight loss surgeon clears you for more vigorous activity, get started with planned exercise, too. Here are several tips that can help you get started:
- Make a schedule and stick to it. Being consistent is one of the best ways to improve your fitness level.
- Get a workout partner. Having a friend at the gym can make your time there more enjoyable, and will encourage you to stick to your plan.
- Find an activity you enjoy. Gyms, adult sport leagues, workout DVDs and local parks are all great resources for a workout. If you don’t like one activity, explore your other options.
If you aren’t comfortable working out, consider meeting with a personal trainer once or twice to learn different fitness techniques and get a friendly push to work harder. Simple strategies like these can keep you happy and motivated to continue working out as you lose weight.
