Loosing Weight By Having Fun

Physical Activity is an important aspect of weight loss and overall health. Pills, diets and other gimmicks that promise results without effort are ignoring the health benefits of regular physical activity. In order to be truly healthy, you must exercise, but there is an endless variety of activities that will help us accomplish this goal. Exercise doesn't have to be limited to an endless walk that doesn't get you anywhere. You can get fit while playing with our friends instead. So get off of the treadmill and go play.

The key to weight loss is to burn more calories that you consume. This can be done by exercising, by restricting calories, or, more effectively, by a combination of the two. Exercising while eating more calories than we need makes our efforts seem futile, as progress is painstakingly slow. Though we will still reap the physical benefits that come with regular activity, reducing our intake at the same time will allow us to see the benefits of our efforts. Those benefits will be visible to other people as well.

Dieting without exercise, on the other hand does slow the downward spiral that overeating sets us on. However, it doesn't help our bodies regain the level of fitness that will have us feeling our best. A combination of eating right and exercising really is the magic pill we keep searching for. Now that we are motivated to eat right and exercise, we are ready to get moving. Instead of joining the gym and making exercise a chore, go play.

Find a friend and play a game of tennis or racquetball. Courts are often located at local parks. Go for a bicycle ride with a friend or family member. You can ride through the neighborhood or check around for a bike trail. They are becoming more common in communities.

Play a game of basketball with your buddies from work. Basketball hoops can be found at a local park, hung over the garage or freestanding and adjustable hoops can even be set by the driveway. Playing a vigorous game with friends is a sure way to slim down and you'll have a blast doing it. Set a regular schedule for getting together for games, this way you can help each other stay motivated.

Swimming is also excellent exercise and many communities have a pool available for lap swimmers in the summer months. Some even have indoor pools available year round. While swimming laps isn't much of a group activity, it is an excellent choice of exercise and most of us consider it to be a fun pass-time. This makes it a good choice addition to the workout routine, as it will be considered more fun than work.

Taking the dog for a walk can be beneficial to both of you. He'll enjoy the outing and you'll feel better too. Walking briskly will of course, burn more calories than a leisurely stroll, but every step you take is a step in the right direction.

The goal in all of this play is to improve your overall physical condition. You want to see progress in your stamina and strength. Keep playing and even if progress is slow in the beginning, you'll soon find that you can play longer and harder than before.

by Greg Williams