The TUNG Brush and Gel team talks a lot about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. We remind you that starting each morning by brushing your teeth and cleaning your tongue will give you a fresh start to every day. But eating and thinking positively are not enough. It is important to keep your entire body healthy and one of the best ways to do that is to maintain a healthy weight.

While we are not presuming that any of you might need to drop a few pounds, LOL, we can certainly predict that the holidays aren’t that far away, so weight might be on the minds of at least a few of our readers! So along with that great food and mindset, how about incorporating some great exercises into your routine?

Before you start any exercise program, though – please check with your doctor to determine if you have any restrictions on physical activity. For example, someone who has bad knees might not be a good candidate for jumping rope or high-impact aerobics! We want you healthy, not hurt! Oh, and whatever exercise you choose, be sure you stay hydrated!

The only way to truly lose weight through exercise is to burn more calories than you consume. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Running – of course, a good run, say at 10 minutes per mile, is a great way to burn calories and keep your heart at a strong rate. Because this can be a long term goal, you might want to start with power walking, which is not your “looking in the store windows” kind of walk, but a faster, even-paced walk. The nice thing is, there are places you can find a track indoors if you are in a hot climate. A good run can burn up to 839 calories/hour!
• Jumping Rope – it’s not just for kids anymore 😊. Jumping 120 skips per minute can burn up to nearly 1,000 calories per hour! And, for that extra burn, try a weighted rope to help your arms trim down too!
• Stationary bicycle peddling – if you don’t want to pound the pavement, how about sitting on a stationary bike and peddling at a good rate, but having rest intervals every minute or so for the best results. You can burn up to 738 calories/hour if you bike vigorously! And you can increase the resistance as you get better and stronger.
• Kickboxing – not for the overly timid, but you can do this without a partner if you like! For every minute and a half of jabs and kicks, rest for 30 seconds. Watch your calories burn at up to 864 per hour if you put your heart into it!
• Aerobics class – there are high and low impact classes to fit any physical restrictions, and you just might make some new friends in the process!
• Dancing – if you can, how about taking a dance class? It’s great exercise, and a lot of fun as well!

 As silly as it may sound, there are other things you can do that sound less onerous but will get you in the habit of exercising:

• Don’t park in that first spot at the mall! Park as far as you can so you have to walk to the store.
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator at work! (But be sure you can exit at your desired floor 😉)
• If you live in a development, walk your dog around the whole neighborhood instead of just outside your house. This is better for you and your pup…just don’t forget the poop bag, LOL.
• If you live in a town or city, can you walk to work on nice days instead of drive? Better for you and you will be kinder to the environment by not driving every day as well.

The idea is to keep your body moving. Sir Isaac Newton proved that “an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion” – Keep your object, your body, in motion and keep the weight off.