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Why exercise is important

Especially if you have been struggling with your abdominal fat for some time, you may also be among those who avoid movement. Sport at school was no fun, the effort is too much and the sense of achievement is missing. In addition - as it is also stated in Chapter 2 - there is more to eating less anyway. Because the calories that you can burn with sport, you ate very quickly again. So why all the trouble?

Even if sport isn't for everyone, there are many reasons that speak in favour of dealing with it. And it doesn't always have to be the marathon run if you want to get more exercise into life. Small changes often bring just as much. You will learn how this works in the following chapters. But here are the reasons for more movement in your life.

Reason 1: Our body is made for movement.

There's nothing to shake about it. Our body is designed to run, climb, fight and carry loads. Since we no longer do this in everyday life, sport simulates this movement. When you start, your body will really crave more exercise.

Reason 2: A fit body consumes more energy.

When you have more muscles, you consume that energy, even when they are barely in use. Every step a muscular leg takes consumes more calories than a weakened leg. Even in sleep, if you're well trained, your basal metabolic rate will increase.

Reason 3: Only movement can shape the body.

If you eat less, you can lose weight and get rid of your stomach fat. You can shape your body as you would like it to be, but only through training. The connective tissue becomes tighter through sport, your posture changes and you look slimmer - even if you are not yet.

Reason 4: There is something for everyone.

There are so many sports that everyone will find something to enjoy. It doesn't have to be the gym or the swimming pool. You can do sports in a team or you can use the time alone to pursue your thoughts. You can shoot soccer, climbing, archery, cycling. Your body will thank you for it.

Reason 5: Movement makes you happy.

Endorphins are released during sport. These are happiness hormones, and after physical exertion you actually feel a little as if you were in love right now. And that's the perfect incentive for the next workout, even when it's exhausting.

Small changes can make a big difference

Going from zero to 100 isn't that easy. And it also does not make sense, because success is usually lacking. Have you ever planned to train for an hour every day from now on, and to hold out for a few days? And how did the whole thing end?

If we take on too much, we usually achieve the opposite of what we want to achieve. You want to get rid of your belly fat, are highly motivated to do sports every day, register at the gym and go there for a week. Then this is what usually happens: You'll get sick. It's a friend's birthday. Your leg hurts. Or you just don't feel like it. And skip once. So your complete plan to do sports every day has failed. In other words: Actually it doesn't make any sense anymore to continue with it. You are frustrated and in the worst case this endangers not only your "sub-goal" sport, but the whole project to fight your belly fat.

So it is important with such changes that you approach them in a way that saves you unnecessary frustration. The best way to do that is to set realistic goals. Nobody trains every day. Even professional athletes take breaks. That's what the body needs. And of course your life doesn't change from one day to the next, but the changes happen bit by bit.

So, instead of doing a lot of sports, it's best to start by planning more exercise into your everyday life. A good goal, for example, would be to consciously move yourself once a day to a place where you wouldn't have done it otherwise. For example, you can ride your bike to work. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or walk to the first station. You will probably think of many more things when you look at your normal daily routine. And the great thing about such a somewhat broader goal is that if it rains in the morning and you can't take the bike, you can climb stairs later. A small setback does not mean that you have not achieved your goal.

In this way you can gradually bring more movement into your everyday life. And the lighter you get, the more fun you'll have with it.

Start at home first

Gyms are great. There are the latest devices with which you can do cardio training and train all muscle groups. You can do sports in any weather and take a shower and change clothes on the spot. There are well-trained staff who can answer all your questions and help you with the right training. You have a wide choice of courses where you can do sports to music in a group. And you'll meet people who also like to train. So there's a lot to be said for a gym.

However, fitness studios also offer great frustration potential for sports beginners and beginners. Because that's where a lot of people who've gone further than you train. If you just start and compare yourself with them, you will sometimes emerge as a loser. And then when you stay home, you feel twice as bad because you spent a lot of money. This will spoil your enjoyment of the sport even more.

So before you sign up for a studio, you should start exercising at home. Because there are many ways to train without becoming a member of a studio. You already learned how to get more exercise into your everyday life in the last chapter.

In addition, you can train at home as follows:

- Gymnastics: A few exercises (push-ups, sit-ups) you certainly still know from school times, and with a few minutes a day you already have a good introduction to training.

- Yoga: There are many instructional videos on the Internet that make it easy for you to do yoga at home.

- Dancing: A little music and you can whirl through the room to the beat. This not only burns many calories, but is also fun and in a good mood.

- Equipment: You should only buy training equipment (treadmill, stepper, home trainer, rowing machine etc.) if you are sure that you are using it. But if you like to train with a certain device, the purchase can be worthwhile. Because you save a lot of time on your way to the gym, you can train at any time of the day or night, and if you use it long enough, you'll be able to recover your initial costs at some point.

Of course, you can also train outdoors, for example while walking, running or cycling. Also a visit to the swimming pool will bring you a lot for the fight against your belly fat.

Every step counts

The easiest way to move more is to walk more. That sounds banal, but it is frightening how little some people move on foot. It is so easy to get into the car quickly or take the train, although you could also walk the same way comfortably. And often the argument (to oneself) for convenience is used to save time.

Yeah, you can get to work or friends faster in a car than on foot. But you don't "save" the time to do something great with it afterwards. Rather, you plan less time for the journey from the outset and are still just as stressed - no matter whether you take the car or walk.

In addition to the movement, the fact that you can concentrate completely on yourself also speaks for walking. In the first chapter you read that stress also causes you to gain weight. And through "pauses for thought", which automatically arise when you walk somewhere, you prevent this.

Meanwhile every mobile phone has a built-in pedometer or you can download a corresponding app. There are also very cheap pedometers that look like wristwatches. This allows you to measure exactly how many steps you take each day. And then slowly improve.

Try to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. That works a lot, but it's not if you really consider all the steps you take during the day. In the office, for example, you can visit your colleague instead of calling him (but be careful not to get on his nerves or keep him away from work). Or during the break, make a small march around the block.

If you're really walking very little so far, start with a lower value. For example, start with 5,000 steps a day, but try to increase by 200 steps every day. Then, after less than a month, you have reached your goal of walking 10,000 steps every day.