Lesson 7 - Tips, Games, and More!

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Okay, so aside from losing weight, what kind of benefits does increasing your physical activity have to offer? Here's a list:

• It can be a lot of fun.
• You can visit with others while getting some exercise.
• You'll look and feel better.
• It's good for your heart.
• It helps you beat depression, anxiety and sleeplessness.
• You'll feel more confident.
• You'll have lots more energy.

One of the hardest challenges you'll face is permanently rearranging your daily routine to incorporate quality aerobic exercise. We get our days down to a science, and when something as important and sometimes time-consuming as exercise has been left out of the equation, it can be incredibly difficult to factor it in. Not to mention, when we're unfit, starting physical activity can make us sore, and sometimes it's just plain boring! We already gave you a couple of pointers in Lesson 4 on how to effortlessly incorporate some exercise into your day — but how else can you make your daily walk, jog, or swim something to look forward to, instead of dread? Here are some great tips to help you put your best foot forward in your fight against high blood pressure!

• Set realistic goals. Even if you start out walking for five minutes at a time, you will have set an attainable goal.

• Start small, but steadily increase the intensity and duration of your workout. As in the previous tip, start out with five minutes of walking, or perhaps four laps in the pool. Then, increase this goal by two minutes or another lap once a week. Before you know it, you'll be exercising up a storm, without any of the negative side effects that come with over-exerting yourself!

• Put on some music while you clean the house, and make your ordinary vacuuming into a dance party! Housework can certainly be exhausting on its own, but if you add in an aerobic component, more than just your house will be looking good! Did you know that even general housecleaning burns between 200 and 300 calories an hour, depending on your weight? Add some vigor to that cleaning, and you can bump up your total calories burned by almost 100!

• Find a partner! Walking long distances by yourself can be really boring, and trying to get motivated to get yourself to the pool can be just as tough. Moral support is key in a new lifestyle — besides, it's a lot harder to back out of your daily activity if you have someone else counting on you to be there!

• Try thinking of your workout in three parts — a warm-up period in the beginning, the brisk period in the middle, and then a cool-down period. Making three mini-goals within your bigger workout helps keep you motivated as you complete each one.

• Drink plenty of water. Not only is this important in your overall diet, it's especially important to make sure you are hydrated while you're participating in physical activity. Don't bother with the fancy bottled stuff, pick up a squeeze bottle, keep it filled, and keep it with you. You'll feel better during your workout, and after!

• Don't forget to stretch before and after your activity. It will help you to avoid feeling sore, it will help prevent injury, and besides, it just feels good!

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