Q: Can exercising just a half hour a day really provide you with any significant benefit?

A: Of course it can!

In fact, it doesn’t even have to be intense exercise. Something basic and light can have profound positive effects on your health and wellness. The challenge for most people is that they don’t think they can find the time. But the truth is, a little bit of consolidation goes a long way. You can pedal away on a stationary bike as you watch television. Want to bond with your kids? Ask them about their favorite movies or bands while you shoot hoops together. Or simple go for a brisk walk and eat an apple during your lunch break.

Your Health – The Most Important Thing

There is no better reason to exercise than just for the simple fact that it keeps you healthy and extends your life. It doesn’t take as much effort as some of those popular tv shows would have you believe, either. Some is ALWAYS better than none, and it really doesn’t take much physical activity to profoundly benefit the essential body systems and keep them functioning properly. A solid diet and exercise program can add years to your life, and ensure that those extra years are good ones!

Your Appearance – Another Great Motivator

Nothing says attractive like a healthy, vibrant body and a positive, energized, endorphin-rich personality! Exercise helps you feel more attractive in many ways, and on many levels. You look more fit and tone, you move better, you present yourself differently, you feel differently, and the list goes on and on.

There are many noticeable ways in which a consistent exercise regimen can enhance your life. At the top of this list is the sense of accomplishment you will enjoy. This comes as the result of you making a commitment, following through with it, and experiencing life-changing results because of that. There really is no finer feeling.

Obviously, transformation also occurs at the physiological level. More endorphins in your blood, more oxygen in your brain, more strength in your muscles… These things feel really, really good. This is why some people will actually never skip a day of exercise in their lives!

Mental and Emotional Benefits

It doesn’t just stop with a radically enhanced self-esteem. Regular exercise can lower stress levels in dramatic fashion, while simultaneously heightening your mood and overall sense of well-being. For one, it gives you time to stop thinking about the stressors in your life and just focus on things such as your breathing, your heart rate, and the sense of pride that goes along with actually doing something good for yourself. And when you work your body out, it thanks you by allowing you to become fully relaxed while it recovers. It’s a win-win on all levels.

Enhanced Mobility and Range of Motion

As you become stronger, more flexible, and more oxygenated, you may notice that your body is moving better than before… a lot better. This is just another of the many great benefits that a mere 30 minutes of daily exercise can bestow upon you.

You will start feeling more playful. You may find yourself bending in ways you haven’t bent in years, which is especially great if you’ve got smaller children around. Few things are as depressing as not being able to play with your five-year-old child or grandchild because you’re unable to keep up or move right.

There is no single right way to exercise your body. Do what you like. Change it up. Swim one day, shoot some hoops the next. It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you get yourself to move. Just start. The finishing will take care of itself.

Why does the word “exercise” bring up so many negative connotations? There is no absolute rule that says it has to hurt… at all. You can very easily get in a good workout everyday and literally LOVE every second of it! The secret is, you’ve got to discover what it is that YOU like to do. And the menu you get to choose from is virtually infinite.

If something is keeping you from engaging in a physical fitness routine, even though such a routine can positively and dramatically impact your life and the lives of everyone who loves you, then it is of extreme importance that we figure out exactly what that something is.

Is It Time?

There is no doubt that the modern human’s life is hectic. It can be difficult to make time for the things we really want to do. And because exercise is usually such a low priority for people, they simply go on about their busy lives, doing the best they can to get by. So essentially, lack of exercise isn’t a time problem at all. It’s a priority problem. Your health should be priority #1 above ALL other things. Without your health, you are dead. Nothing else really matters if you let your health go.

A brisk walk or light jog just half an hour each day can set you up for a surprising transformation. Share in the fun by having activity days with your family. Heck, it can be every day. Go to the park and have foot races. Play some basketball or two-hand touch. Go swimming. Move, move, move! If you’re having fun, you don’t even have to label it exercise. You can just say that you’re – are you ready for this? – PLAYING!

Is It Money?

As we just discussed, you can “go out and play” as often as you like and it won’t cost you a dime. However, I fully realize that to get a supercharged workout, joining a gym is a great way to go. And yes, gym memberships, fitness clothing, and even home workout gear can cost a good amount of money. But don’t let this fact stop you from doing the fun, free stuff. It shouldn’t be an excuse not to exercise. Instead, it could be a goal of yours to join a gym after you’ve gotten yourself nice and addicted to physical activity! It’s all in the way you look at it.

Even if you would like a deeper, more concentrated workout, there are no laws stating that you’ve got to join an expensive health club to get it. You can walk up and down stairs, climb a steep hill, or simply do some good old-fashioned calisthenics. Likewise, good eating habits can often be developed solely through the use of common sense. Want proof? Are fresh vegetables good for you or bad? Is fresh fruit good for you or bad? I rest my case.

It is worth remembering that it’s not the process that really matters, but instead it’s the goal. Start small and work your way up. Don’t let ANY excuses keep you from taking care of yourself.

Once you’ve started to build momentum, invest in some cheap workout gear (yoga mat, dumbbells, etc.). This is good for you not only because you’re investing in useful tools, but also because you are establishing a new identity for yourself as the kind of person who buys fitness equipment and takes care of their body!

The Psychological Effects of Health and Fitness

Of course, the benefits of getting and staying in shape extend well beyond the scope of mere body transformation and physical longevity. A healthy body is a body that virtually cannot get locked into a depressed or anxiety-ridden state. Good health is Nature’s finest mood enhancer. Natural endorphins, along with cell regenerating oxygen become more and more plentiful the healthier you become. This alone can have you feeling dynamite nearly around the clock!

In addition, a stable exercise regimen can work wonders on your overall stress levels, making it easier to cope with life’s hardships and to relax. It can also help reduce or eliminate sleeping troubles. For anyone whose life seems to be in the dumps, and things just don’t seem to be working for them, I would suggest physical activity as their absolute first line of defense. Move your body and you move your life in the right direction.

For individuals who are highly complacent and maybe haven’t exercised in years, go small and build. Bounce on a mini trampoline for 8 minutes the first day, 10 the next, 12 the next, and so on. Once you can do 30-45 minutes with no problems, start jogging or running on a treadmill. Within a few short months you can be an absolute rock star. You just have to get started.

There is nothing you can achieve now that you can’t achieve at a higher level with a fit, healthy mind and body. In other words, there are no legitimate reasons to not go for it, and tons of reasons to just get out there and move!

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude
2. Believe in Your Abilities And the number one tip for successful weight loss
3. Learn From Your Mistakes
4. Reward Your Successes
5. Take Steps Daily to Reach Your Goals
6. Utilize a Support Network
7. Develop a Plan
8. Set Realistic and Meaningful Goals
9. Be Aware of Your Actions
10. Know Yourself

Looks pretty simple when you put it in a list, doesn’t it? Well, in many ways losing weight is just that simple. I should know! After all, I have lost and maintained the loss of 130 pounds. I know weight loss!

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude. Mean people suck. That bumper sticker just about says it all. Despite the fact that your body has excess weight to lose, LIFE IS GOOD! Realize the alternatives: you could be terminally ill, you could be homeless, you could be worse off than you are today. Look around at your life and be thankful for all that you do have. Smile at everyone you encounter in your day. Realize that you are a fabulous person on a wonderful journey. Don’t let anyone or anything get you down!

2. Believe in Your Abilities. So what if past diet attempts failed you. YOU are special, worthy of the best that life has to offer and you are capable of successfully changing your habits and adapting to a healthy lifestyle. You must believe that you can and will do this!

3. Learn from Your Mistakes. If you have a bad day and give in to over eating, learn from it. How can you decrease the frequency of bad days? How can you be better prepared and have healthier snack options on hand? Can you avoid buying unhealthy things that may tempt you? Learn from past mistakes and let that lesson help build your future.

4. Reward your Successes. Reward the positive actions that you do take, rather than punishing yourself for shortcomings. Doing this will help to rebuild your self-esteem and add fuel to your motor! Decide what treats you would like to get as a reward. They must be non-food related and something worth working to earn. For me, things like a manicure, new book, night at the movies or a trip to the art museum work well!

5. Take Steps Daily to Reach Your Goals. Each day, you must do something that will further your progress: be it reading a motivational book, listening to tapes, analyzing yourself or visualizing the future that you want for yourself. Make sure that each day you are moving in the right direction. Realize that plateaus and stumbles are bound to happen, but get back up quickly and take a step in the right direct, the direction of health!

6. Utilize a Support Network. When I lost my 130 pounds, I did it alone. Every day when I log onto my support group, I find an impassioned group of people all caring about each other’s journey. It creates an amazing synergy and support environment. Let it work for you!

7. Develop a Plan. Having a plan to follow is essential! Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took time and planning, but it was realized — just as your dreams will be if you follow a plan for success.

8. Set Realistic and Meaningful Goals. I get numerous emails from people saying things like, “I want to lose 30 pounds by my reunion in 5 weeks!” The time to have started planning for the reunion was many months ago. In 5 weeks, one should try to lose 2 pounds a week or 10 pounds. It is much more meaningful if this person would say, “I want to get healthy and lose 30 pounds — and to give themselves 6 months to do it in.” The reason and the timing must be valid.

9. Be Aware of Your Actions. I dedicate an entire section of my book, Awaken the Diet Within — From Overweight to Looking Great! to just this subject. Mindless eating must become a thing of the past.

10. Know Yourself. By this I mean that you need to take a good long look at yourself, who you are and what you want out of life. There is so much more to this life than just wanting to lose X number of pounds. You know it and I know it. Why!? Why do you want to lose weight? What is it going to change about your life? What do you want to do with your life?