The South Beach Diet is a three-phase weight loss program. Part of the diet plan's emphasis on lifestyle changes calls for incorporating exercise for faster results, and for a stronger, healthier and more energized feeling to life. The South Beach Diet website recommends aerobic exercises and weight training on alternate days. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, anyone with an unstable medical condition should consult with their doctor prior to starting exercise. The average person should be able to start an exercise program. The college also recommends that anyone who has a "cardiac, pulmonary, or metabolic disease, should begin exercise in a medically supervised environment."
Aerobic Exercise
According to the South Beach Diet website, aerobic activity should be done for at least 20 minutes every other day. Easy ways to include aerobic exercise include parking farther away, taking the stairs, taking a walk at lunch and walking to a co-workers desk instead of phoning or emailing. The diet's promoters also recommend a 20-minute interval walk as a great way to boost metabolism. An interval walk can be done at any fitness level, and is a series of moderate paced and fast paced walks to fulfill the 20 minutes.
Weight Training
The South Beach Diet website recommends a total body workout with weights. Ideally, this should be done for at least 20 minutes every other day, on days opposite from aerobic activity. Major muscle groups that should be worked include the abs, back, hips, arms and legs. Examples of exercises are crunches, back extensions, bicep curls, lunges, squats, leg lifts, and knee lifts to name a few. The total body workout is designed to produce better balance, posture, stability and coordination. These exercises do not need to be done in a gym, and can easily be done with everyday items at home.
South Beach Diet and Exercise
The South Beach Diet encourages its followers to choose high-fiber carbohydrates found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, healthy unsaturated fats, lean sources of protein and low fat dairy. The first two weeks is a low carbohydrate diet which may reduce the energy needed for exercise; however, the emphasis on lean protein will help to build muscle. The remaining weeks of the plan add more carbohydrates to help with energy while exercising. The diet averages about 1,500 calories per day, which will provide enough nutrients to sustain a 20-minute workout per day, and allow for about a 2-lb. weight loss per week.
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