The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (39 page)
Swimming
Taking aerobics or spinning classes
Walking
Work in your favorite aerobic exercises three or more days a week for at least 20 minutes. (Find sticking to an exercise routine rather difficult? Head to Chapter 21, where I help you find an exercise plan that works for you.)
Be sure to check with your healthcare provider first before starting an exercise program.
Sprinkling in small activities
Any time you can increase your heart rate for even five minutes, you give your metabolic rate a small boost. So doing the little things that get your heart rate up (like cleaning the house or playing with the kids) for a short amount of time provides little rises in your metabolism over the course of a day. Those individual little rises add up to help with your weight loss and overall wellness.
Calculating your target heart rate
An easy way to determine whether you need to pump it up or slow it down is by monitoring your heart rate to see where it's falling within your target range. To calculate your target heart rate, you first need to know your maximum heart rate (MHR). Find that by subtracting your age from 220.
Your target heart rate should be between 65 and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To find the lowest number in your target heart rate range, multiply your MHR by .65. To find the highest number in your range, multiply your MHR by .85.
Here's an example to tie it all together: Barbara is 40 years old. That means her MHR is 180 (220 - 40 = 180). The lowest number in her target range is 117 (180
×
.65 = 117), and the highest number is 153 (180
×
.85 = 153). Therefore, Barbara's target heart rate range is between 117 and 153 beats per minute.
If you lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle but do some sort of formalized exercise once a day, that's a good start, but you're only giving yourself one metabolic boost each day. Believe it or not, there are tons of small, daily activities that you can easily do to give yourself some extra metabolic boosts. These activities include
Housecleaning
Gardening
Playing with your kids
Stretching in the afternoon