Every time you watch television, you can hardly miss those advertisements that claim their products can help you lose weight. They even assure you that they can keep you fabulously healthy. From crackers to zero-sugar sodas, juices with L-carnitine and diet pills, you will probably lose count of how many products you are urged to try just to achieve the body that you most wanted. Who wouldn't want to have Hugh Jackman’s six-pack abs or Jessica Alba’s ooh-lala figure? But how? Are these products for real?
Of course, there’s no harm in trying these products if you really want to shed excess pounds, right? So indulge yourself. But if you are the type of person who does not want to just lose weight in the form of fat, but wants to tone your muscles as well, and if you have issues with taking products or chemicals, you might want to try a new sport or outdoor activity. Not only will you tone your muscles, you can also meet friends and visit new places as well.
For starters, try brisk walking or jogging early in the morning, an invigorating form of exercise. You can do this from your home to a nearby park; a mall’s parking area or the beach where you can watch the sunrise. Then you can do breathing and stretching exercises or tai chi.
Some institutions also offer free exercise sessions in malls or car parks. You might want to avail yourself of these to help you lose weight. Or if you are heading to the beach, you can take a dip and do another form of exercise. Swimming is one of the most trusted forms of keeping in shape. Or why not grab your bicycle and ride for an hour or two? Cycling is good for blood circulation, too. These exercises are more fun if you take with you at least one family member or close friend. So go and invite them, make it a group activity.
If you have work to do and just cannot exercise in the morning, you could try something like badminton after working hours. A number of play areas now proliferate in the cities. You can play as long as you want to, but you have to pay for it of course. Be sure to bring your racket so you will not have to rent one. Also, wear the proper attire. You do not want to play badminton in your office uniform, do you?
You can also plan for a weekend getaway. You can go to the beach where you can try skim boarding, surfing, snorkeling or kayaking. If you do not know how to swim or you find these expensive, you can play beach volleyball or Frisbee instead. Be sure to put sunscreen on before going in the sun: you just have to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging ultra-violet rays.
If you are not a beach person, you can go to the outskirts and trek. Not only will you tone your leg muscles and maybe lose weight, you can also see beautiful scenic views and try mountainous terrains. You can do rock climbing and rappelling, too!
But if you are way too busy to do these or your budget is not enough, there is still a way. You can dance and sweat those excess fats out with your partner or friends when you go out on weekends to a nightclub or simply to hang loose. Or you could just dance at home with your family at a weekend get-together. Could there be a more fun way to lose weight? Well, er...really?
