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How to Start an Exercise Program
Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. The most common challenge that people I talk to face is how to incorporate fitness into their lives. Physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight — even improve your sleep habits and self-esteem. So much that you may not know where to begin.
Step 1: Assess your fitness level
You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores can give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. To assess your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition, consider recording:
Your pulse rate before and after you walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)How long it takes you to walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)How many push-ups you can do at a timeHow far you can reach forward while seated on the floor with your legs in front of youYour waist circumference as measured around your bare abdomen just above your hipboneYour body mass index
Step 2: Design your fitness program
It's easy to say that you'll exercise every day. But you'll need a plan. As you design your fitness program, keep these points in mind:
Consider your fitness goals. Are you starting a fitness program to help lose weight? Or do you have another motivation, such as preparing for a marathon? Having clear goals can help you gauge your progress.Create a balanced routine. Most adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity — a week. Adults also need two or more days of strength training a week.Go at your own pace. If you're just beginning to exercise, start cautiously and progress slowly. If you have an injury or a medical condition, consult your doctor or a physical therapist for help designing a fitness program that gradually improves your range of motion, strength and endurance.Build activity into your daily routine. Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment. Plan to watch your favorite show while walking on the treadmill, or read while riding a stationary bike.Plan to include different activities. Different activities (cross-training) can keep exercise boredom at bay. Cross-training also reduces your chances of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint. Plan to alternate among activities that emphasize different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.Allow time for recovery. Many people start exercising with frenzied zeal — working out too long or too intensely — and give up when their muscles and joints become sore or injured. Plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.Put it on paper. A written plan may encourage you to stay on track.
Step 3: Assemble your equipment
You'll probably start with athletic shoes. Be sure to pick shoes designed for the activity you have in mind.
If you're planning to invest in exercise equipment, choose something that's practical, enjoyable and easy to use. You may want to try out certain types of equipment at a fitness center before investing in your own equipment. To stretch your exercise dollars, consider buying used equipment. Or get creative. Make your own weights by filling old socks with beans or pennies, or by partially filling a half-gallon milk jug with water or sand and securing the tops with duct tape.
Step 4: Get started
Now you're ready for action. As you begin your fitness program, keep these tips in mind:
Step 5: Monitor your progressStart slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for five to 10 minutes without getting overly tired. As your stamina improves, gradually increase the amount of time you exercise. Work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.Break things up if you have to. You don't have to do all your exercise at one time. Shorter but more-frequent sessions have aerobic benefits, too. Fifteen minutes of exercise a couple of times a day may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session.Be creative. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling or rowing. But don't stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing.Listen to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.Be flexible. If you're not feeling good, give yourself permission to take a day or two off.
Retake your personal fitness assessment six weeks after you start your program and then again every three to six months. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise in order to continue improving. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you're exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals.
If you lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity. Exercising with a friend or taking a class at a fitness center may help, too.
It is important to starting an exercise program. But it doesn't have to be an overwhelming one. By planning carefully, you can establish a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.
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Exercise
Tips To Fitness Success (Part 2)
NOTE: This is part two, click here for part one.
Now that you have decided on why you want a fitness plan. Here are a few tips to help you reafine how you are going to do it. Again, it's all about setting goals.
Now & Later
Goals exist in two forms. These are short-term goals, and long term goals. Both short and long term goals are important for your personal success and longevity.
Short Term Goals
Short term goald These may not get you going, but they will definitely keep you going. Short-term goals should not only be reachable but they must be very specific. Just saying, "I want to get in shape", is not being specific enough. In addition, you should try to work these goals into a reasonable time limit. For example, a good short-term goal may be to work out 5 of the next seven days. Or perhaps you could set a goal to lose 1 pound a week over the next month.
Short-term goals can be a little more complex than these mentioned, but generally a short-term goal should take you no longer than three months to complete. Any longer and they can become difficult to adhere to. Always remember the purpose of the short-term goal as well - Motivation. As we mentioned earlier, the best way to gain motivation is to set reachable and realistic goals. Give yourself something to get excited about at first.
These goals can be more general in nature but should once again be realistic and reachable. Long-term goals are typically the things that get people exercising in the first place. For example, after a recent class reunion you may be disappointed by how much you have changed physically, and how little your classmates have. The promises you make to yourself in this situation are typically of the long-term variety.
Unlike their short term counterparts, long term goals don't really need a time table, but most people find it easier to place limits on them in some way. Goals like losing 50 pounds in the next year or decreasing your body fat by 5% in the next five months are good long-term goals. As you can see these are still fairly specific in nature and I feel they should be. Specific goals not only provide your mind with the pinpoint accuracy it needs to reach a goal, but they also furnish a template for effective measurement. One more thing to remember - Most, if not all, of the benefits of exercise come in the long term. So if you're having a hard time setting a long-term goal for yourself, here's a great one to embrace - CONSISTENCY!
Write It Down - Cross It Out
Many people find it beneficial to make a semi-permanent record of their goals and fitness plans. Writing your ambitions down in a journal can serve as both a great motivator and an effective critic as well. For one thing, it's harder to forget your goals if they are actually down on paper. You may find that you are a better at procrastinating than you are at achieving your goals. Both scenarios provide you with positive feedback that can help you to make the necessary adjustments. Make it a point to cross out goals as you achieve them. Some people even enjoy writing the word "ACHIEVED" over a recently accomplished task.
Either of these methods not only provides you with an enormous amount of personal satisfaction, but they give you an accurate, visual record of successful accomplishment.
Keep On Track
There's only one way to know if your exercise program is effective in helping you meet your specific goals. I can sum it up in two words. Fitness and health statistics such as: body weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate, body fat and cholesterol levels, are just a few of the measurements that can provide useful data for you, as well as your doctor. For example, you may find that after 6 weeks of exercise your bodyweight has decreased but your body fat percentage has not.
This, as you may imagine, is a negative characteristic of exercise, but through careful manipulation of your training intensity, can easily be alleviated. By regularly checking your progress, or lack thereof, adjustments can easily be made to put you back on the right track.
Reward Yourself
If you only remember one thing from this article remember this - Life is short! No one should feel like they have to exercise every single day, nor should they dine only on tofu burgers and rice cakes. Give yourself a break now and then. If you've been consistent with your fitness and/or nutritional program, treat yourself to something you really enjoy. For some that may mean a few chocolate chips cookies or a scoop of Rocky Road ice cream.
For others, it may be a couple of days away from the gym or an afternoon at the movies. The bottom line is that you have to reward yourself for being good. That reward should be special to you.
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Exercise
Tips To Fitness Success
Many people are not consistent and fail in the first three months of an exercise program. But if it becomes a habit and they stick to it, something magical happens after four months. You are finally getting the results you expect and chances are you will continue with the exercise program.
Goal setting is more than important; it serves as your road map to fitness success. If instituted properly, effective goal setting can motivate you to reach new personal horizons. Here are a few tips to not only help you become an effective goal setter, but a successful achiever as well.
Do It For You
Your goals will only mean something to you if they are just that - yours. It's not what your wife or husband want for you, it's what you want for you. Don't get wrapped up in others expectations of how your life or body should be. This will only lead to frustration on your part. Take into careful consideration the changes you want to make in your lifestyle.
Get Real
For your goals to truly encourage you, they must not only be specific to your needs and wants, but they must be realistic as well. Far-fetched goals only discourage good effort and add unneeded pressure. It's not realistic to believe you'll look like Arnold Schwarzenegger after six months on your new strength training program. Nor is it feasible to expect to start a professional football career at the age of 40. The bottom line is goals like these are completely unrealistic.
Setting unreachable goals will assure only one thing - Failure. You won't see the results you think you should be seeing, no matter how dedicated you are. The solution is to set goals that you know can actually be achieved if you put forth the effort.
That's not to say that you should throw all of your dreams out of the window. We are all driven by goals that seem a little beyond our reach. That's what keeps us going. Just start off on the simple side at first. Once a pattern of achievement has been established, test yourself by setting your sights a little higher.
Let's Be Honest
Now this is the hard part. Find a nice, quiet place to sit down and do some serious soul searching. Here's something to ponder - The more you put into your fitness program, the more you will get out of it. Exercising at the minimum (3 days per week or less) is going to give you a minimal training effect. That may be okay for some people, but if you are a professional athlete, it just won't give you the improvement you'll need in order to be a success.
Do I really have the time to exercise everyday, or are 3 days more realistic for my schedule? Am I willing to dramatically change my eating habits for the sake of my health? These questions may be hard to answer at first, but realize that you may have to face them eventually. Many first time exercisers start out so gung-ho that within a few months they encounter complete burnout.
Most of the time these people are trying to live up to self-imposed expectations that are completely unreasonable. The solution is to be honest with yourself right from the start. For example, start off exercising 3 days per week and add an extra day if you find that it fits your schedule. Problem solving before the problem presents itself may help you avoid the inevitable pitfalls that face all exercisers at one time or another.
NOTE: This is part one, click here for part two.
Tag :
Exercise
