Last Updated: Monday, August 11, 2008 11:13 AM CDT
The best exercise: Whatever moves you
By Katie Simonsen - Wellness Director
People always want to know what the “best” exercise is to lose weight. Is it the treadmill? The elliptical? Biking? Running outside? Hopping backwards uphill on one leg? They have somehow convinced themselves that if they know something is the “best” they will be motivated to do it. But what if it really were hopping backwards uphill on one leg, would you really do it everyday? Probably not, because once the novelty wore off and the scrapes and bruises healed, it wouldn’t be all that fun anymore. That is where the knowledge of your individual interests comes into play.
I’m always slightly bemused when folks ask me what the “best” exercise for something is because I never quite know how to answer it. Not because I’m unable to rattle off a few options, but I know that anything I may suggest will likely be ineffective if it strays too far from their individual interests. So my response is usually, “Well, do whatever moves you.” Often this answer doesn’t sit well with everyone because what they are looking for is specific advice and it seems like I’m giving them a riddle.
Essentially, this means is if you like to walk, find a way to incorporate walking into your daily life. If you like to swim, find a way to make swimming a part of your routine. It doesn’t have to be the same thing every day and there are plenty of ways to keep things interesting so you can push through progressions. But if you don’t like the treadmill, the last thing I’m going to do is tell you is to get on the treadmill everyday. Can you burn a ton of calories on the treadmill? Yes. Do you have to go on the treadmill to burn a ton of calories? No. And that’s what I try to get across to people. Pick what you like and we can work from there.
You should look forward to your exercise time in the day, not dread it. It’s hard enough to set aside time to workout, and it is even harder to honor that time if you hate your routine, so make it something you enjoy. When you truly look forward to your exercise time you will find that all those excuses you used to create seem less convincing and you can become more consistent in your exercise habit. And that is where real progress comes in, with consistency. So if you are wondering what the best exercise is for you, think about what you like to do and do whatever moves you.
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