A Little More Pedaling Pays Off
It's easy to come up with an ambitious, eight-days-a-week exercise plan for the new year--and even easier to get discouraged by Groundhog Day.
Instead of going for more workouts each week, make smaller, incremental changes: Add a bit more time to your current workouts. "In 10 minutes you could burn another 75 to 100 calories," says Cathy Mullooly, an exercise physiologist at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. If you worked out three times a week, you'd lose an extra 4-plus pounds over a year.
Totally short on time? Crank up the intensity, suggests Chris Imbo, managing director of health lifestyle company Welldome and a personal trainer for 17 years. "You have to put your body under stress, and when [your workout] becomes routine, it's no longer stress," he says. Treadmillers might up the intensity with stints on a steep incline to burn more calories and build strength. You can also get your body working harder by trying a new class or new machine at the gym. Finally, don't waste time by using machines incorrectly. Stand upright and don't lean on the equipment. "If you have to hold onto the treadmill for dear life," says Mullooly, "the treadmill is doing the work."
This story appears in the December 26, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.