Healthy, highly qualified, happy teachers are education's most valuable resource. Everyone in the developed world struggles with weight management and more importantly, the health issues that accompany excess body fat. Teachers are no exception. You most likely have tried dieting and exercise in the past and perhaps even achieved some short term success only to be frustrated by how easily and quickly the weight returned. There is well-known term in education that every teacher knows. It is Order of Operations. It represents the order in which math operations should be solved. Even simple math problems can be difficult to get right without following this basic rule. Or, they can be quite simple if the rule is followed. Weight loss is no different. The problem is, most people don't know the Order of Operations of fat loss. As a result, they struggle and fail each time they try to lose weight until they eventually give up.
If this sounds familiar to your personal struggle with weight loss, there is hope. Thanks to rapidly advancing scientific discoveries in the field of health and exercise science, research is revealing just how simple weight management can be. Even more exciting is that we now know you can (and should) avoid restrictive dieting and long, time-consuming bouts of exercise to reach your body weight goals!
By making a few simple lifestyle changes and reimagining exercise and healthy eating, you can lose weight, get fit, and improve your health all at the same time. The following simple steps can make your health and fitness journey easier than it has ever been.
First, forget everything you think you know about losing weight.
Stop dieting. You do not need to starve yourself or eat rabbit food all day to get in shape. As a matter of fact, it is critical that you eat foods that taste good to you. You must accept that there are two versions of every food: healthy and unhealthy. Why do you think packages often highlight “Non-GMO, All Natural, or Organic”? Hamburgers, Hotdogs, and Pizza are Okay….IF they are healthy. A healthy hamburger could consist of one serving size and eaten with bread that is whole grain, sprouted, organic, or perhaps made of ancient grains. The meat should be lean and from a grass-fed, non-GMO, steroid-free, antibiotic free cow. You probably get the idea. Put simply, eat Holistic meals made of whole, unprocessed, natural (clean) foods whenever possible. Explore Low Carb, Mediterranean, and Heart Healthy, Vegetarian, Teen Friendly, or other nutrition plans to add variety to your diet and make meal planning easier.
Track you daily calorie balance: In other words, pay attention to what you eat. Everything you eat will either make you better or worse, healthy or unhealthy, well or sick, and fat or thin. It is essential to begin your weight management journey by keeping track of what you eat. MyFitnessPal or ActiveTrax are just two of the many great options available for keeping track of your exercise and nutrition levels on a daily basis and will allow you to match your calorie intake for optimal weight loss without restrictive dieting. The key is that you must (at first) track you food intake versus your caloric output. It takes very little effort and will make or break your weight loss efforts!
Stop doing exercise programs that are too hard or too long. If you are just starting out, you need three things BEFORE you will be able to Transform Your Body.
Restore proper joint mobility: Due to the stress and sedentary nature of modern living, just about everyone has muscle imbalances that lead to poor posture, aches, and pains. For example, if you sit for any length of time frequently, your hip flexors (the muscles that bend your waste forward and bring your legs upward) are probably short and tight while the opposite muscles (the buttocks) are weak, lengthened, and saggy. The end result is overactive hip flexors and underactive gluteal muscles. Beginning heavy weight training or high intensity cardiovascular exercise with these types of muscular imbalances will lead to pain and possible injury. As a result, exercise may become unpleasant and progress slow or non-existent. This is why so many people start exercise programs and quit after only a short period of time. By restoring normal joint flexibility and stability first, you start right, see faster progress, and enjoy exercise more! As a result, you are likely to stick with it!
Strengthen your core: The core is made up of approximately 32 muscles that impact everything above and below it. Think of your core as the anchor on which all other major muscle structures attach. Strengthening the core is the first step in establishing a functional level of fitness and will not only make you look great, it is absolutely necessary for health, injury prevention.
Establish a baseline level of cardiovascular fitness: Exercise is not hard. If it is, you are doing it wrong or more likely, at too high an intensity for your fitness level. This is the most common mistake made by new personal trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike. If you are new to exercise, recovering from a major health event, or you have been out of it for a while, you must build a cardiovascular base. No equipment or gym membership is necessary. You can start with a simple walking program with the goal of reaching 20-30 minutes of mild to moderate exertion 2-3 times each week. Ideally, you will be building your cardiovascular base while you restore mobility and strengthen your core.
The 12 Week Restore Mobility Exercise Program by ReversAge Health & Fitness is specifically designed for those who want to make permanent weight management changes, get healthy, and become fit. Split into three phases, the 12 Week Restore Mobility Program is designed to progress you from safe and simple mobility and core strengthening movements to more intense full body functional strength exercises. Split into three four week phases the Restore Mobility program allows you to continue to see progress as you grow more flexible, stronger, and build cardiovascular fitness.
Throughout the program you will continue to improve stability and mobility of all major joints of the body. You will increase the time and intensity of your cardiovascular exercise sessions as you lay the foundation for permanent weight management. As a result, you will:
Improve shoulder, wrist, knee, and ankle mobility
Strengthen core, lumbar, knee and stability during activities of daily living
Improve hip and thoracic mobility during activities of daily living
Improve cardiovascular strength and speed up fat loss
This program is ideal for individuals that:
Are apparently healthy and have permission from your medical provider
Want to participate in cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes
Want to improve posture Are seeking to achieve permanent weight loss
Want to improve overall health and quality of life
Want to reduce aches and pains
Program Length: The Restore Mobility Program lasts four to 12 weeks depending on which phase you start with. Total workout time commitment is 30-50 minutes, 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days. For example, complete this program on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for four weeks. You may also complete the cardiovascular portion on separate days (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) for a total of 5-6 shorter workouts each week.
Equipment Needed: Foam or hand roller, safe place to perform cardiovascular exercise or a cardiovascular machine of your choice, physioball, chair, exercise mat, light dumbbells or resistance bands
*This program does not claim to prevent or treat any specific disease or condition. You should always seek clearance from your medical provider before beginning any exercise program.