If you’re considering liposuction, you’re getting serious about your health. Even if you choose it mainly for cosmetic reasons, the facts are simple: having excess body fat can take a toll on one’s ability to feel good and enjoy life. Liposuction can help slim your body and will also make it easier to get back on track towards good health. Ready to move forward? Here’s six tips for keeping off the excess once your procedure is over.
- Get Started Before the Big Day
Okay, the first one’s not actually for afterliposuction, but before. Since you know you want to build good habits, why wait until after your procedure? Though liposuction can be very helpful with weight loss, it’s not a magic pill that will cure all your problems; you still have to develop the healthy habits that will allow you to succeed—so start today! Try to establish a regular workout routine before the day of your procedure, so that when it’s done, you can just keep on going.
- Take a Walk
One of the simplest things in the world that nearly everyone can do to maintain good health is to walk every day. No matter your lifestyle, you can find room in it for a daily walk, whether it’s a morning stroll with the dog or an after-dinner “digestive.” Pressed for time? Build short walk breaks into your daily office routine: Recruit a work friend who also wants to make that 10- or 15-minute break count. See how many laps you can do around the building! A walk is also an excellent substitute for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack that used to feel necessary for making it to the end of each day.
- Fall in Love with Exercise
If you’re reading this, it’s possible you often feel like exercise is a necessary chore, something you haveto do to keep fit and healthy. It’s time to change your mindset! There are nearly as many possibilities for exercise out there as there are people, so know that there’s one (or more) that’s right for you, too. If you can learn to fall in love with exercise, it will be so much easier to maintain your health in the long run. It really doesn’t matter what type of exercise you come to love, as long as it gets your body moving and your heart rate elevated. You’ll have more energy, strength, and health, when you find an exercise you truly love to do.
Try out different types of sports and exercise to find your favorites. Try each one enough times to really know whether you like it or not. Consider joining a gym that allows you to sample different sorts of classes; there are so many new exercise modalities out there that you may never have heard of yet! Keep in mind that, while every new exercise you try will seem hard at first, they will get easier and easier as you gain proficiency. Also keep in mind that some of the most effective exercises are the very simplest, requiring hardly any equipment; a good pair of running shoes can take you a long, long way.
- Get a Bicycle
Speaking of falling in love with exercise, when’s the last time you rode a bike? Bicycling is a low-impact, fun, and effective exercise, and as a bonus, you can even use it to get around town! Make sure you have a bicycle that fits you well, along with a helmet, lock, and bike pump. Learn to check your tire pressure and keep your own tires full. Find a local bike shop to keep your wheels tuned up; they’ll also be a valuable source of information on the best routes to ride in your neighborhood. Longer rides will be easier if you have a destination, so head to the grocery store, farmers’ market, or a friend’s house. Make a regular date to ride at least once a week.
- Wear a Fitness Tracker
If you love keeping track of your progress (and who doesn’t?), you should definitely consider wearing a fitness tracker like Fitbit. Not only will you know if you’ve met your daily step goal (which you should increase if you meet it easily), but it will also help you keep track of sleep habits and workouts, and you can even use it to log calories and water intake. For some people, this kind of data can really help them to stay on track with their fitness goals.
- Recruit a Friend
This is the big one, the number one tip that can make or break your new exercise routine. Imagine you’re doing great, working out every day, enjoying the sunshine—then the weather turns sour. It would be very easy to postpone your workout, then the next thing you know, you haven’t worked out in weeks.
So how do you prevent this? Through good, old-fashioned peer pressure! Make an exercise buddy who will not only keep you accountable to your goals but will also help transform the “work” of a workout into fun. You’ll be amazed how much further you can jog when you’re gossiping with a friend the whole time!
Get ready to have fun keeping the weight off!
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About the Author
Chezlani Casar is a librarian and fitness enthusiast working with Laser Lipo and Veins who loves to be outdoors. She enjoys cycling and running with family and friends, as well as ocean sports whenever possible.