New Team Lean Letter…

Uhhh….I lost a week somehow (should be on Week 4…right?), or they did lost a week…whatever…ANYWAY, here is another Team Lean Letter from my challenge at work.  These are the emails we get at work to go along with our Team Lean Challenge (basically Biggest Loser but with teams).  I think they offer pretty good, albeit, basic information to get someone started on a weight loss journey.

Happy Reading!

Welcome to Week 5 of the Team Lean Challenge!

This week will focus on Exercise and Activity.

By combining exercise with improved eating habits, you are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

• You burn more calories when you are exercising; the more active you are, the more calories you burn.
• Regular exercise also builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat. In this way you can increase your metabolism, which helps keep excess weight off.

Getting Started

Life is busy. Most would say they would love to fit in regular exercise, but it’s hard to find the time. It’s time to stop thinking of physical activity as a “when I have time” option and consider it a necessity for life. Whether or not you want or need to lose weight, exercise is vital to good health. Losing weight and feeling great are just added bonuses!

“If you think of getting active as one more thing on your long to-do list, you’ll never get moving.”

How Much Exercise Is Needed?

The CDC recommends adults get a MINIMUM of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity (such as brisk walking) physical activity per day, most days of the week OR a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity (such as running or jogging) physical activity 3 days a week. Additionally adults should do resistance, strength-building and weight -bearing activities two days a week with a goal of completing 6-8 strength training exercises, with 8-12 repetitions per exercise.

To move toward a healthier weight and prevent weight gain, aim for about 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity on most days.

Moderate intensity physical activity is any activity that takes about as much energy as a brisk walk. For the average person, this is about 1½ to 2 miles in 30 minutes, a pace at which breathing will quicken and the heart will beat faster. No matter what activity you choose, you can do it all at once, or divide it into two or three parts during the day. If you divide it up, each part should be at least 10 minutes long.

Target Heart Rate

To determine the best intensity for your workout, consider your target heart range. This is the recommended intensity to achieve during your workout. This is also your best fat burning range. Check your heart rate 10 minutes after you start exercising. Find your pulse just below your thumb on your wrist. Count your heart rate for six seconds beginning with “0″. Add a “0″ to this number. For instance, if you count twelve beats in six seconds, your heart rate per minute is 120.

Need help determining your target heart rate… use this handy online calculator -http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Target_Heart_Rate_Calculator.asp

Tips for People Who Have Been Inactive for a While

Use a sensible approach by starting out slowly.

• Begin by choosing moderate-intensity activities you enjoy the most. By choosing activities you enjoy, you’ll be more likely to stick with them.
• Gradually build up the time spent doing the activity by adding a few minutes every few days or so until you can comfortably perform a minimum recommended amount of activity (30 minutes per day).
• As the minimum amount becomes easier, gradually increase either the length of time performing an activity or increase the intensity of the activity, or both.
• Vary your activities, both for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
• Explore new physical activities.
• Reward and acknowledge your efforts

Ready to increase your activity, but don’t know how to begin?

Visit www.sparkpeople.com to create an individual workout plan. Try using the workout generator tool to create a customized work-out for you to print or to track online. You can even view workout videos online that you can do at your desk or at home.

Remember, there are 1440 minutes in every day… Schedule at least 30 of them for physical activity.

copied from bhsonline