~Slimming Step 3: Exercise!~

In the previous slimming step, I advised on cutting down calories right?
Then the next step is to BURN the calories.
When you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight!

Do you know that 3,500 calories is equivalent to about 0.5 kg of fat?
If you want to lose about 0.5kg, then you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you eat.
So if you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you'd lose about 0.5 kg a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).
Exercise along with cutting calories helps boost your weight loss. Exercise is also important for maintaining your weight.

A general guide is to include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine. If you want to lose weight and maintain weight loss, you may need to increase your activity.

Sooo.. What kind of exercise should you do?

Let me recommend some easy ones to incorporate into your daily routine.
These are aerobic exercises that will help you burn fat calories.

1. Skipping

Get a skipping rope. Skip for about 100 times. Rest for 5 mins. Skip for another 100 times. Rest for 5 mins. Repeat this until 30 mins have passed.

Once you reach a stage when you no longer pant after skipping 100 times.
Go for 150 times before your rest for 5 mins.

This lets you gradually increase your exercise intensity without overstraining yourself.

2. Brisk walking

This is recommended for people who are having knee problems as vigorous exercise like jogging and skipping will put more stress on the knees.

Walk at a speed that you actually pant a bit. Walk for 30 mins.
Make sure you don't walk until you become breathless. (that would be like a slow jog already)

Once the same speed doesn't make you pant anymore (meaning you can talk/ sing freely without running out of breath), you can increase your walking speed.

For those without knee pain, can slowly increase into a slow jog speed.

3. Stepping

Stepping is a great way to get your heart beating and to burn calories. You can use your stairs at home. Take the stairs instead of the lift when you go home (if you stay in HDB flats).
Begin with 3 storeys first. Then slowly increase to 4, then to 5 storeys.

Take the stairs when you are the MRT station instead of using the escalator.
I took 2 full flights of stairs in Paya Lebar station and I panted so much. Super unfit. Have to do it more.

Even though you may not feel like the stepping is helping, it is! This exercise will not only help you lose weight but will also help shape up your buttocks and legs.

Once you do these exercise diligently, and control your caloric intake. You should be able to lose weight steadily, no matter how little.