Every time we pick up the newspaper or watch the news we hear how much exercise the average North American does, and how the average person is also fat! If we spend so much money and time on exercise, why are we all so fat? I will tell you why. Most people don't really spend much time at all exercising and of those that do, they sure don't work hard enough.
As Alwyn Cosgrove said in an interview I listened to the other day, "the average person sits at a desk for 8 hour per day, sits around all day at home, and drives to the gym." Well no wonder they are fat! Add to this the terrible diet people consume and it is surprising more people are not overweight!
The simple fact is that a exercising 2-3 times per week for 30 minutes to one hour is not nearly enough! Especially when walking is considered exercise! Remember when you were a kid and you had to walk to school? Or ride your bike to your friends? Then remember you would have gym class, plus recess, plus a sport after school? Well my friends, that is a normal day of activity! Sitting on your butt all day then going for a walk does not count for much.
Before I offend all my readers, let me first say that I do commend anyone who gets off the couch and does something, anything, to improve their fitness levels and lose weight. That being said, it often requires a lot more frequency and intensity to lose weight then people think. Don't be frustrated if walking three times a day has done nothing for your fat loss goals, you don't have the right to be!
John M. Berardi, PhD, CSCS, is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human performance and nutrition and considers five hours of intense exercise per week to be the bare minimum to achieve a lean and health physique. Read that again people, five hours in the minimum! Now do you understand why fitness has to become a part of your lifestyle and not just a side note. You have to exercise pretty much every day to be lean and healthy.
Five hours per week of hard exercise is the minimum, but don't let that discourage you because that is easier than you think. First off, determine how many times can you make it to the gym or train in an ideal environment (boot camp, group fitness class, home gym) for at least an hour each week? Now, how short is that of five hours? Add in as many mini-workouts as necessary to shore up the difference. Mini-workouts such as brisk walk or bike ride, a quick workout on your home cardio machine, a kettlebell or dumbbell workout at home. Basically anything that does not require a warm-up or travel time.
Now, have you found 5 hours of fitness time yet? If not, think of an activity the whole family can do together. Maybe hiking or co-ed sports or something. The important point here is to address the amount of time you are short due to responsibilities by incorporating fitness into your life!
Five hours per week, can you do it? I know you can it will just take some planning! Check out this little video below for a great home workout idea!
As Alwyn Cosgrove said in an interview I listened to the other day, "the average person sits at a desk for 8 hour per day, sits around all day at home, and drives to the gym." Well no wonder they are fat! Add to this the terrible diet people consume and it is surprising more people are not overweight!
The simple fact is that a exercising 2-3 times per week for 30 minutes to one hour is not nearly enough! Especially when walking is considered exercise! Remember when you were a kid and you had to walk to school? Or ride your bike to your friends? Then remember you would have gym class, plus recess, plus a sport after school? Well my friends, that is a normal day of activity! Sitting on your butt all day then going for a walk does not count for much.
Before I offend all my readers, let me first say that I do commend anyone who gets off the couch and does something, anything, to improve their fitness levels and lose weight. That being said, it often requires a lot more frequency and intensity to lose weight then people think. Don't be frustrated if walking three times a day has done nothing for your fat loss goals, you don't have the right to be!
John M. Berardi, PhD, CSCS, is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human performance and nutrition and considers five hours of intense exercise per week to be the bare minimum to achieve a lean and health physique. Read that again people, five hours in the minimum! Now do you understand why fitness has to become a part of your lifestyle and not just a side note. You have to exercise pretty much every day to be lean and healthy.
Five hours per week of hard exercise is the minimum, but don't let that discourage you because that is easier than you think. First off, determine how many times can you make it to the gym or train in an ideal environment (boot camp, group fitness class, home gym) for at least an hour each week? Now, how short is that of five hours? Add in as many mini-workouts as necessary to shore up the difference. Mini-workouts such as brisk walk or bike ride, a quick workout on your home cardio machine, a kettlebell or dumbbell workout at home. Basically anything that does not require a warm-up or travel time.
Now, have you found 5 hours of fitness time yet? If not, think of an activity the whole family can do together. Maybe hiking or co-ed sports or something. The important point here is to address the amount of time you are short due to responsibilities by incorporating fitness into your life!
Five hours per week, can you do it? I know you can it will just take some planning! Check out this little video below for a great home workout idea!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dbL-vwosBzw&feature=related