How one household item could help you drop kilos
A SYDNEY doctor has revealed how an everyday household item could help you drop the kilos and improve the intensity of your workouts.
Fitness
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A SYDNEY health doctor has revealed how an everyday household item could help you drop the kilos and improve the intensity of your workouts.
Obesity expert Nick Fuller has listed five main reason how headphones could be the key to losing weight and keeping it off for good.
He said about 70 per cent of Australians failed to meet the recommended guidelines for exercise and “a measly 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity” five days a week.
“When we add in some exercise we are only getting to the actual recommended level for general heart health population guidelines. To add to the frustration, we often start activities we don’t even enjoy or won’t stick to long-term, for example, going to the gym, or starting with a personal trainer,” he said.
“So in frustration we quit, waste our money, and go back to our old ways, as it is all too hard and not fun.”
Dr Fuller said the solution was simple; do what you enjoy and do it with headphones.
“Research has shown that listening to music may also improve your enjoyment and intensity while working out, which means you are more likely to shift those kilos for summer,” he said.
“Headphones prevent us from getting distracted and talking to our gym buddy or friends at the park.”
The five reasons you should exercise with headphones:
1. Prevent distraction
It is great to socialise sometimes while exercising, but other times you must focus on getting the heart rate up and maximising the small amount of time that you’ve dedicated. This is especially relevant when you need to go and bang out a quick high intensity session with the 20-30 minutes that you have during your lunch break.
2. Improve fitness
Music can help with fitness. Increase the tempo or beat of the music. If it’s a walk you are on, try incorporating faster or motivational music with bouts of jogging, or getting up a hill, to mix up the intensity. When the song ends, reduce your intensity to walking with a slower beat track, and then repeat a 2-3 minute jog or hill climb, with a fast song when you have your breath back.
3. Enjoyment
You will distract yourself from pain and enjoy it better. Research has shown that those who listen to music while exercising take their mind of the physical exertion.
4. Feel the beat
The brain gets excited with “high groove” music and instigates movement. Our bodies are moved by music and also move to it. If you feel the beat and stick to your exercise plan you will reap all sorts of health benefits.
5. Improves your mood
Not only does music regulate arousal but it also improves your mood meaning you can switch off from whatever stresses or distractions that might be on your mind.
For more tips on the best types of exercise and tips for sticking to your plan, Dr Nick Fuller’s Interval Weight Loss program is available via Penguin.
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