Have More FUN

Day 3: Exercise

*What activities do you LOVE to do indoors and outdoors?



Amazing! Whether you love to dance, go for long walks or weight train, embrace the fact that exercise doesn’t have to mean being a professional athlete!

However, when we factor in limited time, finances and specific fitness objectives there are more efficient ways to reach your goals.

Decide whether your goals are time-sensitive or can be achieved with long-term daily habit changes. There are 3 main categories to fitness:

  1. Fat loss and muscle gain (resistance and weight training, heavy lifting)
  2. Maintenance and preventative health (sports, group classes, weight training)
  3. Stress management (walking, cardio, group classes, sports, weight training, heavy lifting)

All 3 programs may be applicable at some point in your life, depending on your situation and health goals.

For example, if you are obese, with diabetes and a heart condition, a more focused and specific fat loss/ muscle gain routine for a period of time will be necessary. Once you’ve reached your fitness goal and lowered your morbidity and mortality risk factors, then you can move on to a maintenance program or work towards gaining more muscle.

*Which category applies to you? If you have a time-sensitive goal, what is it and is it realistic given your life situation?



TODAY, take on one of “Today’s Challenges”. Once you make a choice, write it down on a piece of paper and keep that paper in your pocket all day as a reminder.

I’ve also included an optional “Bonus Challenge” if you’re feeling especially motivated today.

Today’s Challenge:

Pick one of the following challenges to take on today, check it off once you’ve accomplished it.

  • [  ]   Invite a friend to participate in an activity you love
  • [  ]   Try an outdoor activity for 20 minutes
  • [  ]   Work with a personal trainer to safely learn the basic movement patterns (ie. squat, lunge, deadlift, push-up, row, chin-up)
  • [  ]   Join a dance or fitness class and get in touch with your sexy body
  • [  ]   Park in the last parking spot, avoid escaladers, and take the stairs
  • [  ]   Start a spontaneous dance party in the office, outside or in the privacy of home. Crank up the tunes and just move.
  • [  ]   Download sample workouts through the “Strong & Sexy in 6” program

Bonus Challenge (optional): Interval Training

Interval training burns more fat in a shorter period of time than steady state cardio. So give it a try this week.

Whatever activities you choose, push yourself hard for 1-5 minutes (heart rate >140 bpm and out of breath), followed by a short rest period (heart rate ~130 bpm able to carry a conversation). Continue this cycle for a total of 20 minutes or more. Feel free to switch up the exercises to target different muscle groups.

For example,

  • do as many full push-ups as you can then drop to your knees and keep going until you are exhausted.
  • Rest for a moment then stand up and do body weight squats for as long as you can.
  • When you’ve pushed till you can’t do anymore take a rest, then move on to mountain climbers.
  • Continue to change exercises or perform a small circuit until you’ve completed a full 20 minutes of activities.


If you’re more of a steady-state cardio fan, try the same philosophy alternating with the speed, resistance or incline of the cardio activity.

For example, a 20-minute interval training session on a treadmill would look something like this:

  • Start at your low intensity for a 4-minute warm up (ie. walking at a high incline- heavy breathing but able to carry a conversation)
  • High intensity for 5 minutes (ie. running at a lower incline- very difficult and unable to carry a conversation)
  • Low intensity for 1 minute
  • High intensity for 4 minutes
  • Low intensity for 1 minute
  • High intensity for 5 minutes

Always end your interval training with a cool down period before stretching or moving on to your weight training routine.

Notice the rest periods are 1 minute at a low intensity and the high intensity durations are longer (5:4:5 minutes). Write down your resistance, incline and/or speed to keep track of your improvements.

*Read more exercise regiments at www.DrAlisonChen.com/exercise

Have you been filling out your Diet and Lifestyle Diary?

Flip back to Day 1 and make sure you track at least 2 weekdays and 1 weekend. Notice any patterns so far?