Getting Active To Promote Medical Weight Loss

All medical weight loss programs start with a visit to the weight loss doctor (bariatrician). Your doctor will guide you on your weight loss journey by suggesting weight loss options that will suit your lifestyle and existing medical conditions. A comprehensive approach to weight loss, such as that usually found in medical weight loss programs will almost certainly include increasing your activity with some method of gentle exercise.

The benefits of exercise go beyond weight loss, getting active will improve your physical health and has been proven to give your mental health a boost too. The benefits of an exercise are:

• Exercise is fun; whether you play a sport or just walk, it gives you new experiences and adventure.
• Exercise makes you sleep better; it has been proven that getting enough sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy body weight.
• Exercise can enhance your sex life; you will look better and feel better.
• Exercise will boost your stamina; your entire cardiovascular system will function better.
• Exercise burns calories and helps you lose weight; the benefits from activity will stay with you as exercise boosts your metabolism.
• Exercise can help prevent or combat disease; some cancers, osteoporosis and type II diabetes occur less often in people who exercise regularly.
• Exercise improves you mood; physical activity releases endorphins in the brain, these chemicals can actually help to relieve depression.

The U.S. government has some excellent tips on how to start getting active, http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/adultguide/default.aspx. Some of these tips are:

• Start getting active slowly by simply walking a bit more.
• Walk a little bit longer every day, walk with a friend or take your dog out for a stroll.
• Add another form of exercise such as biking to your exercise regime.
• Enlist the aid of your weight loss team; consider doing activities with friends and family too, they are a great support system.
• Take it slowly, do not double your exercise time from day to day, but consistently increase the time and intensity of workouts.
• After you have built up to exercising every day, consider adding heavier exercise such as lifting weights or gardening to your schedule.

The most important thing to remember about medical weight loss program or any weight loss program is to take it slowly. You did not gain the weight in a month and you will not lose it in a month.