Getting into a Healthy Exercise Program

October 17th, 2012 - Posted in Exercise - Tags: exercise

Okay, so it is the end of the holidays.  And you ate more than you said that you would.  And you ate less than ideal foods.  And you didn’t exercise nearly enough.  And you don’t exercise nearly enough even when it isn’t the holidays.  So what do you do about it?  How do you get in shape when you don’t really like exercise?

Firstly, realize that exercising is an excellent way to invest in you.  Unlike a car which you can send in for maintenance, your body doesn’t often get replacement parts.  Further, if you do get replacement parts like a new knee, hip or shoulder, etc., there is a huge price to pay on your body in order for you to get back into better physical shape.

Hopefully, you will realize that it is much more cost and energy effective to take care of the body that you do have.  If you take care of your body, it will also take care of you.

What are the Benefits of Exercise?

Exercise helps to build stronger muscles, improve flexibility, improve circulation, decrease joint problems and osteoporosis, reduce back pain, increase heart and lung efficiency, reduce blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, increase energy, increase mental acuity, improve posture and self image and reduce the frequency of injuries in your daily life.

Where Should you Begin?

1)  It is easy to tell you to join a fitness club, but that may not be the treatment of choice for you.  Firstly, you need to decide what types of activities that you enjoy.  For some people this choice may be walking or hiking.  Others may enjoy a good game of squash, cycling class or quiet meditative therapies such a Tai Chi or Pilates.  Identifying what type of activities you like is the first step in sending you on your healthy way.

If you are having difficulty deciding what it is that you would like to do, consult a wellness clinic that is involved with exercise programs or a fitness facility that offers multiple exercise programs.  You may also call yoga and wellness studios and investigate social activity groups in your area.  Often, the staff in these facilities can help you narrow down your interests in order to help you focus on what activities may best benefit you.

2)  Remember to start slowly.  If you haven’t done exercise on a regular basis, you can burn yourself out in no time by jumping into a program five times per week.   A healthy lifestyle should be something that you can commit to.  It should also be an activity that is totally doable on a regular basis.

So if you start work at 6:00 am and finish at 7:00 pm, you may prefer a home exercise program or a gym rather than taking designated exercise classes.  Remember, if you won’t commit to the program, it won’t do you any good.

3)  Aim for continuous aerobic activity for 30 minutes per day on average, five days per week.  If you can’t commit to this, at least get out and exercise aerobically as part of a regular exercise program.

4)  Look for other ways to increase your daily activity such as using the stairs more often, parking further from the entrance to your workplace, doing more physical work such as shoveling the snow (not recommended in people with certain health conditions).

5)  Always warm up prior to exercise.  Generally exercises that are simple but simulate that of the exercise that you are going to do are best as warm up exercises.

6)  Always cool down at the end of the exercise.  Gentle stretching of the muscles that were used during the exercise allows them to cool down and stretch without going into spasm.

7)  Pay attention to your body.  Stop exercising and speak to your doctor is you develop unusual aches or pains.

8)  After a workout, be kind to your body.  Take a hot bath or shower and allow your muscles to relax after your exercise.

9) If you are very overweight, have a health problem or haven’t exercised in over six months, please consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Whatever you do, be it swimming, joining a gym, participating in Yoga or Pilates classes, taking up a racquet sport, hiking etc. remember that moderation is the key.  And if you won’t commit to continuing with the program then it won’t work for you.  Committing to a healthy lifestyle is a wonderful investment in you.  So don’t overdo it.  Just do it!!!

And be well.