Atkins, Exercise, And Physical Activities

The Atkins Diet includes exercise recommendations for weight loss and good health. The original low-carbohydrate Atkins Diet, launched to the public with "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution" by Dr. Robert Atkins included exercise, as do subsequent versions. Exercise on Atkins involves any form of steady physical activity for at least 20 minutes. Activities such as walking, gardening, bicycling, stair climbing and weight lifting all count. Aiming for at least 30 minutes a day of exercise five to six days a week supports your weight loss goals on Atkins.

Atkins Basics

The Atkins Diet and other low-carbohydrate diets tend to help people lose more weight and lose it faster. Cutting processed carbohydrates such as desserts, packaged snack foods, white bread, regular pasta, baked goods and candy out of the diet results in fewer food cravings. The food choices on Atkins are low-glycemic, meaning they have a slow impact on your blood sugar. When your blood sugar stabilizes, you're free of sugar spikes and crashes and the bouts of intense hunger that low blood sugar can cause.

Atkins and Exercise

Atkins designed his diet to help people get healthy and to reduce the risk of heart disease and other major, preventable diseases. The Atkins Diet advocates regular physical activity as part of your weight loss program. Like most programs that allow people to succeed at weight loss, Atkins encouraged his readers to adopt a healthy, long-term lifestyle including more nutritious food choices, regular exercise and supplements. All phases and versions of the Atkins program recommend regular exercise. Starting by walking a short distance each day will help you to get started on a more active lifestyle.

After Induction

Perhaps due to the extremely low-carbohydrate induction phase of the diet, there's a common misconception that the Atkins Diet consists of primarily meat and high-fat food. The diet suggests limits for foods such as cream and nuts and encourages healthy food choices. It's even possible to do a vegetarian version of Atkins. Increasing your activity level as you follow the Atkins Diet helps you to maintain a steady weight loss. For example, if you started with three 20-minute walks a week in the induction phase, add a bike ride, hike or longer walk on the weekend. Increasing your activity helps you burn more calories and improve your fitness.

Maintenance and Physical Activity

Successful Atkins dieters move on to phases of the diet that allow more carbohydrates. The lifelong maintenance phase allows you to maintain your weight loss while enjoying a wider range of foods. Each phase of the diet includes physical activity. The exercise emphasis is on finding activities you enjoy and can commit to. For example, increasing your activity by playing more basketball, dancing, taking up a new sport, scheduling family or buddy fitness activities, and challenging yourself to improve the intensity and duration of your activities will help you to lose weight and feel more energetic.