My Simple Health and Fitness Rules – Exercising

To repeat, I’m one of the few individuals who manage to lose weight and stay fit. 

How I do it? I’ve mentioned my eating rules in my previous post, here are some of my exercising rules. Again, you don’t have to follow, but if you do, you’re likely to benefit in one way or another.

In fact, my eating rules and exercising rules in some perspectives are quite consistent. Let’s see.

1. Morning Exercise

An apple everyday keeps doctors away. My ‘apple’ is the exercises that I do in the first 20 minutes of every morning. It does not keep me away from doctors permanently, but once I started, I didn’t see my doctor for two years. I have been doing this for many years. If you want to minimize your medical bill, try it.

2. Natural Exercise

I eat fresh and natural, likewise, I workout naturally. 

I have a gym membership, but I had it only because I have to use the pool. I go to the gym only when weather does not permit swimming. I won’t do treadmills or row a boat at the gym because these are boring. Instead I do jogging in a park or rowing a real boat. Do you see what I mean by workout naturally?

Enjoy a natural breeze and breathe well in the nature while working out.

3. Concentrate When Exercising

Seriously, have you ever read or watch TV while doing any exercise at your luxury gym? If so, you're not concentrating enough on what you're doing, plus you're probably not working out hard enough to see any real results. You won’t talk on a mobile phone while swimming, will you? Do exercise with your full attention and you’ll see real results. If you are multi-tasking while working out, then your results will be discounted. 

4. Do the Exercise that You Enjoy 

Do you enjoy jogging or playing hula hoop? Personally, I enjoy playing hula hoop more than jogging, though both exercise spent the same amount of calories. I also enjoy swimming, so I do both exercises alternatively. I’m never tired of the exercises that I do, because I only do whatever I enjoy doing. You will only stick to doing something that you enjoy, won’t you? You’ll quit soon if you force yourself in doing exercises that you don’t enjoy.

5. Do Exercise Over The Long Run

How often do you do exercise? Once a week for a couple of hours or 3 x 30 minutes per week? Both are fine, provided you don’t do it for a month and quit. If you do it for a month or so, it’s just better than not doing. Want to see the real results that your workout contribute to your health and weight loss, you must do it over the long run. I have been doing morning exercise over the past 20+ years and I’m sure I won’t give up. On top of that, I am adding daily sessions of swimming or exercise of my preference.

Anna’s Thoughts on Exercising for Long Term Health

If you have a gym membership, I’m sure you’ll go quite frequently because you had to pay for it. But jogging on a treadmill is boring, so people start to chat with the neighbour jogger, talking on mobile phone, watching TV and so on. I have noticed some people’s gym session even ended up in social talks. 

To avoid that, I have an alternative suggestion. Exercising in a group with a leader is more encouraging and interesting rather than working out alone. So look for some yoga classes, pilates classes, dancing classes, tai chi classes, whatever classes that you are interested in. Enroll two or three weekly classes of an hour each, you will then have two or three full hours of exercising every week. Because you paid for these classes and you enjoy these classes, I’m sure you won’t give up easily. And there is an extra benefit – the money you pay for these classes might be cheaper than a gym membership which usually requires you to pay annually or quarterly in advance.

Finally, my two golden rules for health and fitness are:

Rule #1: Eat Less

Rule #2: Workout More