You set a goal to lose weight and know that starting a new exercise regime will help you reach that goal.
But instead of setting your alarm for 6am each day and heading into a grueling hour and a half session, you might want to consider laying down instead.
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Experts have found that when people set fewer exercise goals, fewer sessions per week, and less time exercising, they can help them lose weight and reach their goals more effectively.
Too good to talk? Cecilia Harris, celebrity personal trainer for Frankie Bridges, Ryan Thomas, Lucy Mecklenburg, and Susannah Reid, says you better believe it.
The fitness expert who founded fitness app RWL has spent the last 30 years training his clients. As soon as you reduce your workout schedule and demonstrate the power of short home workouts, you will see your results skyrocket.
Cecilia says:
“To lose weight, you need to create a so-called ‘calorie deficit. You have to use more energy than you expend in food and drink.
“Moving burns energy and working out burns a lot of calories, so it helps you achieve the calorie deficit you need to burn fat.
“I’ve spent my career helping people get fitter and healthier through exercise, and, surprisingly enough, I’ve spent a lot of time convincing people to exercise as much as possible. In fact, I usually have to persuade them to exercise less.
“It all comes down to one thing: consistency.
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“To lose weight and get in shape, you need to have regular exercise in your life, and to stay active long-term, you need to be realistic, not overly optimistic.” , which usually involves lowering expectations.
“If you try to work out every day or for a very long period of time, you may give up quickly.
“If you set a goal of working out less, three times a week, or 20 minutes per session, you’re much more likely to do it and do it well.”
Cecilia explains why exercising less each week is the fastest way to weight loss success…
you are likely to do it
every day? 5 times a week?
When setting goals to lose weight or get in shape, many of us feel guilty about planning to exercise more often than we can realistically manage.
Cecilia says:
“But instead of skipping one session and choosing to go back to planning the next day, most people just give up for the whole week.
“Or completely everything.
“It’s because our minds want to convince us that continuing healthy exercise is ‘no point’.
“The truth is, it’s just too hard because you’re doing too much.
“All of our celebrity clients are much more consistent when they work out two or three times a week than when they try to work out more.
“If you plan to do far less exercise than you think you need, you’re far more likely to actually do it, and far less likely to give up on the whole idea.”
you are less likely to overeat
Cecilia says: I know that when I run out of energy, I need to replace it.
“If you’re more active, your body will respond with hunger.
“If you’re trying to achieve a calorie deficit, you’re usually trying to control your appetite by reducing portion sizes or snacking less.
“Studies show that too much exercise can increase your appetite and cause you to gain weight instead of losing it, so finding the right balance is important.
“Working out every day without rest, or training for more than an hour, greatly increases your need for refueling, and post-exercise hunger is likely to be more extreme and harder to control.
“Two to three 25-minute workouts per week are more likely to make healthier food and healthier portion choices than frequent, longer workouts, and reduce the intake of high-calorie foods. They are more likely to reach for larger areas.”
less chance of injury
Cecilia says:
“To grow muscle, you first need to exercise and then rest to recover and grow.
“You probably remember the feeling that your muscles were sluggish and sore the day after your workout.
“This is a sign that you’ve worked hard and your muscles are recovering.
“If you keep exercising instead of giving yourself time to rest, you don’t get the chance to build muscle.
“You’ll feel more and more pain, you’ll continue to get more and more tired, and eventually your body is more likely to get injured, and you won’t be able to do any exercise at all.
“Reducing exercise and taking a walk or recuperating in between can prevent you from giving up or quitting exercise because you’re too tired.”
you are less likely to see it as a chore
Cecilia says:
“We are busy with our daily lives and struggle to find time to be physically active, and this can have a serious impact on our health and weight.
“The biggest mistake people make when they decide to start exercising is trying to plan too many workouts per week.
“Something they have to fit on their ‘to do’ list quickly becomes a chore and they quickly come to see it as a negative rather than a positive.
“By planning to do fewer workouts per week and shorter durations, you can break up your workouts and look forward to the days when you actually get to move.
“Recognizing that it’s a good idea to incorporate exercise into your week will greatly increase your motivation. This increased motivation will keep you going in the long run.”
