Best Exercises To Do While on Phentermine

by Marixie Ann Obsioma, MT, undergrad MD on April 13, 2024
Last updated on April 13, 2024

Battling the bulge and serious health snags because of extra pounds? Tried cutting back on snacks but didn’t see the scale budge much? Maybe it’s time to think about a prescription solution to shed that weight.

a woman on a yoga mat

Phentermine is one of the most popular diet pills available today. It can serve as a powerful adjunct for weight loss when used together with exercises and a reduced-calorie diet.

Yes, you read that right! To maximize the results with Phentermine, it is highly recommended that you include physical activities in your new, healthy lifestyle. You need to burn more calories than you consume.

Exercise is really good for health. Aside from weight loss, it has several other health benefits. It can help lower your risk of osteoporosis, heart diseases, diabetes, and some cancers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Exercise can also help you control stress for better mental health (6).

This article will explain everything you need to know about Phentermine and the best exercises to combine with it.

What is Phentermine?

Phentermine is one of the most well-known prescription weight loss drugs. It was FDA-approved in 1959 for patients age 16 and above. It must be used for not more than 12 weeks (7).

It is a controlled substance because it contains chemicals similar to amphetamine, a stimulant.

Doctors usually prescribe Phentermine for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. It is also given to patients with a BMI of 27 and at least one weight-related condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol (8, 9, 10).

How Does Phentermine Work?

Phentermine is an appetite suppressant. It helps limit your calorie intake, which can lead to weight loss and control.

While the exact mechanisms behind its appetite-reducing effects remain to be unclear, Phentermine is known to act by increasing the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the brain (11, 12). When these chemicals increases, you’ll feel satiated.

How Effective is Phentermine?

Several studies proved that Phentermine can speed up fat loss.

The expected average weight loss is 5% of your initial body weight. But, over 12 weeks, it can increase to 10%. This is equal to 4.5-9 kg for a 90.7 kg individual (13).

A meta-analysis of 6 studies concluded that people who took approximately 27.5 mg of Phentermine for 13 weeks lost around 6.3 kg compared to 2.8 kg in placebo groups (14).

How to Take Phentermine?

Dosages for Phentermine will vary as it is available in different forms and concentration.

Previously, the available doses were 15, 30, and 37.5 mg. But with doctors’ recommendations to use the lowest effective dose, the FDA approved an 8-mg formulation in 2016. This can be taken up to 3 times daily.

Is Phentermine Safe?

Phentermine is considered safe when used correctly. However, there are still cases in which patients experience minor side effects. They commonly complain of dry mouth, headache, and insomnia. Avoid taking the last dose of too late in the day to prevent insomnia (15).

As mentioned earlier, while Phentermine can be an effective weight loss aid, the only proven way to shed weight and to maintain it long-term is cultivating healthy lifestyle behaviors, which includes exercise (9).

Most guidelines would recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercises (9, 16).

Benefits of Exercising

You surely have heard doctors say that regular exercise is important for optimum health. Though many people often do this to lose weight, there are several other health benefits that should not be forgotten.

Regular exercise has been proven to improve body composition, insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular fitness. This decreases fat levels and blood pressure (17, 18, 19, 20).

Lack of exercises can cause a significant increase in belly fat. This also increases your risk of heart diseases and type 2 diabetes, thus, daily activity is highly recommended. (20).

Easy Exercises to Fit In on Phentermine

Staying fit while on Phentermine is very important. These tips will help you get on the path to success. You don’t need to do all of these. Just try one or two exercises daily and see how much better you’ll feel after a week.

1. Stretching

Everybody loves a good stretch! It is almost an instinct to stretch a little as soon as you wake up, so this is the best time to warm up your body for the day ahead. This is very easy. You can lie on a mat, carpet, or bed. You may just do what feels good or follow routines like sitting up and elongating your arms over your head, bringing your arms down and clasping your hands behind your back, or reaching for your toes with your legs stretched out. Hold these positions for as long as you can before grabbing a healthy breakfast!

2. Energy-Boosting Exercises

Pump up your metabolism for the day by doing these energy-boosting exercises in less than 2 minutes! Try running in place for 20 seconds and do 20 jumping jacks and 20 seconds of invisible jump-rope after. Wrap up your session with 20 seconds of high-knee jogging.

3. Mini Workout

Take some time in the morning and do this mini exercises before you head out for work or school for an energy boost and a greater release of happy hormones. Get yourself the perfect full body workout in less than 15 minutes!

Do the following for one minute each – inchworm, squats, push-ups, front lunges, reverse lunges, and side planks on both sides. Get a short break and then repeat.

4. Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercise can be done by both men and women anytime and anywhere! It’s very easy! You just need to squeeze your muscles in the perineal area just like when you are trying to stop urine flow. Contract and relax the muscles for about 30 times daily.

This workout can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles for lifting and balance. It also helps protect the spine and flatten the stomach from the inside out.

5. Stroll

To reduce stress, a 10-minute walk at lunch or break may be the perfect energizing pick-me-up exercise you need! It has been proven to boost energy levels for 2 hours, so you’ll be able to avoid the usual afternoon slump and snack attack for more weight loss (21).

Getting outside mid-day is also a good way to get your dose of vitamin D. Interestingly, some evidence shows that getting enough vitamin D can help reduce body fat and boost weight loss (22).

6. Stair Climbing

Do you have stairs at home, school, or work? If yes, then you can easily perform cardio exercise daily! As compared to walking, stair climbing can activate more muscles. This simple yet effective routine can help you burn more calories!

7. Yoga

While yoga is not really an aerobic exercise, some types are more physical than others.

Active and intense styles of yoga like power yoga, vinyasa, and ashtanga can help you burn calories as they keep you moving constantly (23).

One study revealed that restorative yoga was very helpful in helping women to lose weight, including belly fat (24).

A review of studies also found that yoga can help reduce stress, burn calories, and heighten mindfulness. These can help one reduce food intake and become aware of the effects of excessive eating (25).

Yoga can also boost metabolism and help you develop muscle tone.

8. HIIT

If you lack time to do work-outs while on Phentermine, then High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) could be your way to go. You can do HIIT exercises in as fast as 8 minutes and still get all the benefits of prolonged endurance. However, you need to concentrate on resistance-based moves and put a lot of effort if you are hoping for the same results as those who are spending hours at the gym.

9. Planking

Have you ever tried planking? It is surely a lot harder than it looks! Do a basic plank for 10 seconds and then try adding another 10 seconds to your time daily. Daily planking can help tone your body, speed up metabolism, release muscle tension, and improve balance. Not a bad payoff for 10 seconds a day, right?

10. Swimming

If you are looking for a fun way to do exercise, then visit a local pool and get to swimming! This is yet another excellent exercise that will involve all muscles to help you lose weight faster. Go for a swim at least 2 or 3 times weekly for better results.

Bottom Line

With these 10 easy routines, saying you do not have time to exercise isn’t a valid excuse anymore!

Phentermine can only act as a catalyst to speed up your weight loss, but you still need to do lifestyle changes to stay fit and active. Phentermine can help boost your energy levels and make these routines much easier to fit into your day, even for just a few minutes!

References

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