When I was working at a gym, I used to get a lot of questions from members about weight loss – more specifically people asking me what was the best way to lose weight. As if there was this one secret special thing that only personal trainers knew about that they could do to lose weight and keep it off.
I wish I could tell you that theres this one awesome exercise that encompasses absolutely everything, and if you did this exercise 12-15 times a day you would absolutely lose weight and keep it off forever and ever. I wish I could tell you that there is some big secret to losing weight that we trainers hold deep in the depths of our souls, and only people who purchase huge packages of personal training sessions get access to – like it’s a secret club or something.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: There is no secret.
None. Nada. Nilch.
The reality is there is no one way to exercise and lose weight – there is just what works for you. I mean, if you’re trying to get really jacked for some sort of fitness competition that’s another story, and there probably is a secret and you should definitely find out what that secret is or you might not be successful. But for general health and weight loss, I want to give you some of the best advice I have in my arsenal from years of helping people with their fitness and exercise goals, and from my own journey.
Exercise on all or most days of the week for about an hour
Studies show that moderate to high intensity exercise on all or most days of the week is most effective when improved fitness is the goal. The key here is consistency – you want to be doing something almost every day in order to see results. If you want a more comprehensive look at what the physical activity guidelines are you can click here to see the Canadian physical activity guidelines for adults.
Make exercise a part of your lifestyle
This is the key here. If exercise is a part of your lifestyle – if it’s something that you do in your daily routine no questions asked – you will do it every day. Doing it everyday means you will experience more health benefits, you will have developed a solid routine, and you will probably lose weight if that is one of your goals.
Ground yourself in developing a passion for the exercise, not a desire to lose weight
Here’s the thing: when we are driven solely by our desire to lose weight, often times once the weight comes off we can fall off the wagon so to speak, and put back on all the weight we were so desperate to lose. Now, sometimes an exercise program which initially started strictly as a means of losing weight, transforms into a genuinely love of health and fitness because the person discovered how great it felt. But this is not always the case. It’s important to continue to check in with yourself, and ground yourself in your why.
It doesn’t have to be conventional
I think people have this idea that exercise looks like going to the gym, a fitness class, or running when that is not the case at all. If you are someone who loves nature, going on a hike in the woods is just as good as going to the gym and getting on a treadmill. In fact, I would actually argue that it’s better because you’re being immersed in nature, you’re breathing in fresh air and you’re challenging your balance by walking on uneven terrain. You could even incorporate mindful walking if you wanted! You could enjoy rock climbing, trampolining, kayaking, canoeing – tons of stuff that you may already be doing at your cottage, are actually legitimate forms of exercise.
Find something you enjoy, and do that
I mean this should probably be a rule of thumb for your entire life, but it is especially important when it comes to exercise. You are far more likely to consistently do exercise that you actually enjoy, rather than something that you absolutely hate, or dread doing. For each person this will be different. I used to tell my clients that finding your perfect exercise program is a lot like finding a life partner – you need to date around, see what’s out there, try a few things and discover what you like. So try out a bunch of different styles of fitness – yoga, cross-fit, weight training at the gym, Zumba, aerobics class, cycling, walking, running, swimming, home workout videos, kick boxing, kayaking, hiking – I could just keep going but you get what I mean!
My point is: The exercise that is best for you, is the exercise you will actually do.
That rhymed, and I should probably copyright it as my slogan or something, but it’s true! Whatever it is, just do it. There is no secret. The secret is in the consistency, and the consistency comes from doing something that you enjoy everyday. That’s it, that simple. There are so many things in this world that we “have” to do that we don’t completely enjoy – some people don’t enjoy their jobs, cleaning the house, running errands – exercise, which is how you spend some of that precious spare time, should not be one of them.
If this has been helpful for you, or if you have any questions or comments please feel free to share them below!
