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Build an active lifestyle after weight loss surgery

Let’s evaluate two scenarios.

  1. In the first scenario you exercise every day by walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Aside from this bit of exercise, you spend your day stuck in traffic on your hour-long round-trip commute, sitting at your desk for eight hours a day and then on the couch watching TV or talking with your family in the evening.
  2. In the second scenario you don’t limit your activity to a 30 minute exercise routine. Instead, you adjusted your morning commute to mass transit lines that you walk to and from to reach your office. At lunch you stand up and go for a walk, spend your evening cooking a healthy dinner for your entire family and then playing catch or another activity in the backyard with your children. You spend your weekends exploring new activities and building new active hobbies.
Active lifestyle photo

Which one of these two lifestyles sounds healthier? Even though the first scenario involves a strict exercise routine, the second is filled with more activity and healthier habits in general. A simple exercise routine isn’t enough to combat a sedentary lifestyle.

Activity that Isn’t a Chore

The bottom line is that for many people, 30 minutes of moderate exercise isn’t enough to make a lasting impact on their health after weight loss surgery. To overcome obesity and keep weight off for good after weight loss surgery you will need to become more active—and that goes far beyond a scheduled 30 minute workout routine.

The problem that many people encounter, including those who work so hard to fit in a daily workout, is that even after 60 minutes of regular activity, many of us are spending the other 23 hours in a sedentary position. After seeing the vast disproportion of sedentariness to activity in a standard 24 time frame, it comes as no surprise that so many people are struggling with their weight. In our contemporary culture, sitting down is the norm.

There are many ways that you can increase activity in your life to improve your weight loss efforts:

  • Break up your work routine with regular walking breaks.
  • Try scheduling active meetings that allow you to walk and talk instead of sitting in a board room all day.
  • Even cooking dinner every night for your family will get you up on your feet for an extra hour as you prepare, cook and then clean up after your meal.
  • Take every opportunity to walk whenever you can. Walking around the mall for an hour or more is not only fun, it’s exercise. If you plan to do this frequently though – leave your credit cards at home.

If you have adjusted to a regular workout routine, then keep up the great work. An exercise routine is a great start to living a healthy lifestyle, but it is only a start. Do your best to become more active every day to complement your workout routine for enhanced weight loss.

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