Shaping NJ.org · NJ Healthy Kids.org · NJ Fitness Clubs
Fitness.gov · Let’s Move.gov
Source: GMN Health
Before we know it, the summer months will be upon us. This is such a great time to start getting active outdoors and enjoying the warmer weather that we have all been waiting for! Here’s how you can come out of hibernation, re-evaluate your health and get your groove back:
• Get your mind ready. Allowing your mind and body the time they need to get back in a workout routine will pay off in the long run. Don’t be impatient because it will only lead to injuries and setbacks. Take it easy the first couple of days and do not overdo working out. Get your brain to embrace that routine again. As Maxwell Maltz would say, “it takes 21 days to form a habit.”
• Plan activities outdoors. If you live near a park or the beach, try to incorporate walking before work or after dinner. Weekends can be spent hiking or playing your favorite sport. Not a sporty individual? Working out does not mean you have to be in the gym — walk the dog, play with your kids outside, or just stroll around the neighborhood.
• Enjoy eating healthy and choose your foods wisely. Take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season. Fill up your plate with healthier choices: eating fewer calories doesn’t have to mean eating less food.
If you are unsure of your health status or are overweight, speak with your primary care physician prior to beginning a new exercise regimen. By making smarter choices every day, adopting a healthier lifestyle and developing smarter eating habits, you’ll not only lose weight and be able to keep it off, you will also have more energy and an improved mindset.
By Sameer Shetty, M.D., a board-certified Internal Medicine physician with special interest in obesity-related conditions. His office, Premier Primary Care and Wellness, is located at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge. For more information, call 732-210-8165 or visit SameerShettyMD.com.