Lose Fat Tummy - Exercise is Essential

A startling statistic has been circulating over the Internet claiming that half of all those who want to lose weight don’t exercise. While this might seem mind-boggling at first, it is not entirely surprising, when you stop to consider what American culture has become.

In the early days of the republic the majority of Americans did hard labor on farms they were used to exercise during their normal workday, so they ate large meals in order to give them the energy they needed to complete their tasks.

In the 19th century Americans began moving into cities to take factory jobs again they spent much of their time on their feet and jobs involved a good deal of physical labour. Many walked to work and to school so exercise was a part of their normal routine. No need for Pilates or strength training in those days since ordinary life afforded many opportunities to exercise naturally.

Fast-forward to today and most people have sedentary jobs, working on computers, working at desks, working at cash registers. There is little opportunity during their work days to move, let alone get up and stretch. At home, they may spend much of their time sacked out in front of a television set, or on their home computer.

However, studies have proven that the best weight loss plan combines sensible diet with exercise. Certainly, you can reduce your calorie intake but it is also important to boost your metabolism, and that is best done through an exercise routine. Since you must burn a phenomenal amount of calories in order to lose pounds, exercise is crucial to long-term weight loss success.

But what if you don’t enjoy exercise and, lets face it very few of us actually enjoy the experience so how can you possibly start an exercise program? In a word you need “motivation”, easier said than done but just picture how you want to look and feel in the future and be determined to achieve that goal. You must set yourself targets and your motivation will be to achieve those targets however small. Believe me realising your first target will drive you on to the next, then the next, and so on.

If you are not used to exercise don’t start in the gym, walk, skip, jog, dance, skating, swimming, so many ways for you to exercise in an enjoyable manner.

If at all possible, you should eventually add strength training to your exercise regimen as lifting weights can boost your metabolism, causing you to burn calories while also adding muscle to your frame. Strength training can also help you to guard against osteoporosis and other health problems.

The bottom line is that in order to be a healthy person you simply need exercise as exercise does not only contribute to fitness and weight loss but also to your mind and general well being. It can clear your head and help you to work out your frustrations. In short, it can give you a sense of accomplishment that will put you in the right frame of mind when trying to lose a fat tummy and weight in general.