Keeping in Shape

When I first lost weight over 10 years ago, I relied on running as my primary exercise. I was younger then, but I did still incur an overuse injury that really threw me off track. So I have worked around those limitations and come up with the following exercise tips:

• Work out when you are running a calorie deficit, try to workout before a meal, and not after, so the body reaches deeper into the fat for an energy source.
• Work out consistently. Try to be active everyday and workout 6 days a week. It is better to be active for 30 minutes a day over 6 days than 60 minutes every other day. This is a brain trick for me. When I work out, I eat better, my body knows it is "on the hunt" and wants to be lean, eat lean and think lean.
• For me, the top two tips lead me to work out in the mornings before breakfast. I am on a calorie deficit and I can make the time available on most days. I just find it hard to consistently fit a workout in at any other time of day. Either work is too busy on a particular day, or I end up taking time away from my family.
• Mix it up. Find different exercises, locations, machines, routines, courses to keep it interesting. I rotate between a 3 mile run, the elliptical, StairMaster, treadmill, P90X videos, home brewed backyard workouts, basketball, and long walks. There are a lot more things for me to try out there, but the above are all about cardio to feed the weight loss.
• Measure your heart rate and keep it up in the aerobic/cardio range for at least 15 minutes straight, or do harder and higher heart rate intervals. The idea here is to breath hard and sweat (external signs) for enough time to trigger fat loss, and to push your body beyond the level you use in your every day life.