Losing weight and starting an exercise program are New Year’s resolutions that often fall quickly by the wayside. But setting realistic goals can go a long way toward realizing a healthier lifestyle in 2016, says a fitness specialist.
LeAnn Alexander, director of Campus Recreation at Mississippi University for Women, said there are ways to maintain goals throughout the new year.
“The first step to reaching a desired weight is setting realistic and attainable goals,” she said.
Alexander added that from personal experience, achieving weight goals can be overwhelming so one should set them according to his or her expectations. In fact, consistency is one of the main components of meeting expectations.
To reach weight goals, she suggests prepping meals in advance, setting aside a specific time of the day for workouts, and adding workouts as a regular part of the daily schedule.
“In fact, the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle starts with better food choices and then proceeds with proper exercise,” she said.
According to Alexander, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults to incorporate at least 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activities weekly. These activities includes brisk walking every week. Also, an exercise program should include muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
In addition, Alexander said personal food and exercise journals are some ways to track weight goals progress. There are also helpful free apps such as MyFitnessPal and Nike Run just to name a few. The most popular commercially available method is FitBit®, a fitness tracker that measures sleep patterns, food intake, weight loss progress and the amount of exercise.
For information about The W’s Recfitness, Intramurals and Aquatics programs, go to muw.edu/recreation/fitness/recfitness.
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