. ................................................................................................................... Low-carb to Low-fat Rotation - $29 Read more Order Now! Complete Banta Diet jump-start: 30 plans sent to you by email every day plus 180 Banta recipes - $31 Read more Order Now! .................................................................................................................... South Beach Diet and Exercise Low Carb Diets: Try the diet of delicious food & easy weight loss. Join 1000s There are no two ways about it: Exercise is a beneficial component of a weight-healthy lifestyle. Exercise can help you lose weight as well as maintain weight loss, but it can also improve your overall health, lift your mood, help you to sleep better, and relieve stress. How can you make exercise part of your daily routine? Take the work out of your workout by developing an exercise plan you enjoy. To ease into a regular exercise regimen, Dr. Agatston recommends the following: Start with a brisk 20-minute daily walk. If you don't have a 20-minute block to spare, try two brisk 10-minute walks per day. "Any exercise is better than none," says Dr. Agatston, preventive cardiologist and author of The South Beach Diet(tm), "so don't use lack of time as an excuse not to get moving." Continues after the ads Continues after ads .................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................... Include 10 to 15 minutes of stretching to prevent injury and increase flexibility. Alternate cardiovascular activities with 10 to 20 minutes of strength training  -  activities designed to increase muscle strength, endurance, and power. The key to improving muscle strength is resistance  -  whether from a dumbbell, your actual body weight (as is the case with push-ups and sit-ups), or other equipment (like a rubber band). The results go beyond increasing muscle strength. According to Dr. Agatston, "By maintaining and building muscle and bone mass, you're increasing your metabolism so you're burning more calories even while you sleep." He adds, "Many people don't realize how important strength training is for continued and sustainable weight loss." You don't have to be a bodybuilder or buy expensive equipment to strengthen your muscles. One of Dr. Agatston's favorite fitness tools is an inexpensive fitness ball, which can be used to strengthen abdominal, butt, and back muscles. If you reach a weight-loss plateau, try increasing the length or intensity of your workout. For example, try walking a route with hills or alternating between brisk walking and jogging. Regardless of how much weight you lose, you should begin to feel more energetic, more rested, and less stressed when you participate in an exercise routine. Even if you never make it past step one, you're better off than you were without any exercise. Get more tips from Dr. Agatston - join The South Beach Diet Online today! Make Food Shopping Easy: Eat delicious food & lose weight! Recipes, meal plans, shopping lists. .................................................................................................................... Low-carb to Low-fat Rotation - $29 Read more  Order Now! Complete Banta Diet jump-start: 30 plans sent to you by email every day plus 180 Banta recipes - $31 Read more  Order Now! .................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................