When trying to lose weight, it can be hard to know whether to keep your focus on diet or on exercise, and focusing too heavily on both can become exhausting when you’re just starting and can cause burnout.
Here’s how I often break it down for people: diet should be 2/3 of your focus, and exercise should be 1/3 of it.
So, your diet plays a bigger role in determining what your weight will be, but exercise is still crucial to actually getting the results you want. That’s good news, since drivers are typically short on time when it comes to working out, so they don’t need to be logging hours and hours of exercise each week.
Exercise is the way that you transform the shape and composition of your body. If you are eating a very healthy diet, but not exercising at all, you will likely have a “soft” yet thin body, with little muscle mass or definition. When you add in exercise, you will gain muscle, improve your posture, and have overall muscle definition (without looking bulky or like a bodybuilder, I promise). This is where your confidence will skyrocket, clothes will fit better, and people will start to notice how great you look!
Additionally, the benefits of exercise are endless:
+ increased energy
+ increased metabolism
+ increased muscle mass
+ increased bone density, especially important as we age
+ decreased cholesterol
+ decreased blood pressure
+ improved cardiovascular health
+ improved endurance & stamina, so you don’t get winded carrying groceries up a flight of stairs
+ increased mental alertness & focus
+ increased confidence
+ much more!
Now, there are many different types of exercise, from walking to weight lifting, bootcamp classes to yoga. So, how do we incorporate exercise specifically for weight loss? Your best option will be a workout that gets your heart rate up quickly for short periods of time, combined with moves that allow your heart rate to come back down for a short period of time. This is known as high intensity interval training, or HIIT, short bursts of activity followed by a “rest” period.
Many people assume cardio is best for weight loss, but running or walking at a steady pace will only burn a limited number of calories in a long workout, not to mention how boring it can be!
HIIT workouts boost your heart rate repeatedly, which helps to increase your metabolism (the calories you burn) for the rest of the day. Since HIIT workouts can be so varied in what exercises you do, you can also include strength training moves to burn calories and increase muscle at the same time. Bonus: the time flies by, and you will never get bored!
You also don’t need any equipment, meaning you can drop the excuses and workout anywhere!
Try it! Head to Youtube and search “Beginner HIIT workout” or add in any other specifications you may have, like “15 minutes” or “bodyweight workout” based on your interest and needs. You can do these workouts at home, in a parking lot beside your truck (ensuring you’re parked in a safe spot), or even in a truck stop rest area if you’re not disturbing others.
Here are a few we found that are great to get you started:
15 Minute At Home Bodyweight Cardio Interval Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUg5dP6W0cw
30 Min. Total Body Cardio HIIT Home Workout for Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_tJ1Se57WE
Fitness Blender Body Firming HIIT Workout for Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2jill_Lf0Y
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