The No-Stress Way to Maintain an Active Lifestyle

Face it-- you're not Arnold or some rich celebrity that can afford to workout for hours a day (or afford it!), but you are capable of living an active lifestyle. Those who change from a sedentary to an active lifestyle see wonderful changes, both physically and mentally. Why? Well, the body is working properly. The body is doing what it was meant to do: move and work.

But maybe you aren't fully committed to trading your potato chips and Netflix for Nike shoes and day hikes just yet. I'm not saying that the chips and TV are acceptable, but I'm not here to force you into a lifestyle.  But, I am hopeful that you can start thinking about making a change; after all, you are reading posts about health and nutrition...that right there is a positive step toward a healthier lifestyle.

So how can you go about making a permanent change? One day at a time with small steps toward a total change. This is a process and it begins with making smart food choices and incorporating fitness into your routine. From here on out, I want you to visit our site every three days and pick a new habit to incorporate into your day. Simple. Today, I want you to use this post as your new change. Today, you are going to start walking every day before dinner.

Take a walk. That's the change that you are going to make today. I like to take a walk BEFORE dinner because that allows my body to use energy (glycogen, etc...), so when I eat dinner, most of my meal will replenish the glycogen stores instead of being stored as fat.

Of course, you can definitely take a walk after dinner, which will allow your body to use your dinner for energy. 

You can see why I take my walk before dinner. I am more likely to use body fat for energy if I take my walk prior to dinner because I am in a fasted state as opposed to a fed state. When you are in a fed state, it is unlikely that your body will use body fat for energy. 

Aim to take a walk for an hour. Yes, one whole hour. Figure it out.  Walk with a friend, spouse, or by yourself. But do it. Do this for at least three days before coming back to the site -- and maybe next time you will decide to make a change to your diet.