Excersize

Getting Started

• You've been diagnosed with heart problems, high blood pressure or other medical conditions
• You've been sedentary for over a year
• If you're over 65 and don't currently exercise
• You're pregnant
• You have diabetes, experience chest pains, dizziness or fainting spells
• You're recovering from an injury or illness
• You have a diagnosed medical condition or illness.

Use your best judgment and see your doctor if you have any questions about what you should be doing. Even if you don't have any problems, you may want to get a full check up before you start exercising, especially if it's been a long time since you've worked out.

Proper Clothing and Footwear

Think comfort. Shorts, tee shirts, tights...wear whatever feels good to you. Test your clothes before you go to the gym (or wherever you're exercising) to make sure your clothes don't chafe, ride up, slide down or show more than you want. Protect yourself. Wear light-colored clothes, a hat, plenty of sunscreen and sunglasses if you're exercising outdoors. You may also want to invest in clothes made of special wicking material such as CoolMax. This stuff keeps you cool and dry in the summer and warm in the winter...you don't need fancy fabrics, but it does make workouts more comfortable. Wear the right shoes for your activity. For weight training and low impact activities consider a cross-training shoe, running or walking shoes. If you're going to be running, you'll want a running shoe so your feet will have plenty of support. Similarly, if you're participating in a sport such as basketball, football, etc. you'll want a sport-specific shoe so you don't hurt yourself. Be safe. Make sure your clothes and shoes have reflective material on them if you're out and about at night. Be picky about your workout socks. If they're too thick or thin you could get blisters which can ruin a good workout. Choose clothes to fit your activity. If you're running or walking, a simple pair of shorts and tee shirt might be fine. If you're doing yoga or Pilates, you might choose more fitted clothing so you can move freely but stay covered. There's no right and wrong when it comes to exercise clothes. It's whatever makes you feel good and keeps your comfortable.

Setting Goals

1. What do I want to accomplish with this exercise program?
2. Is my goal realistic and attainable?
3. Do I know how to reach my goal?
4. When do I want to reach my goal?
5. How will I reward myself when I reach my goal?

For example, is it reasonable to want to lose 50 pounds in 6 months? It's possible, but may not be reasonable unless you eat well and exercise every single day for the next 6 months. Experts recommend that you lose no more than 1-2 pounds per week, but it isn't likely that you'll lose 2 pounds every single week and many people find they actually lose about .5 to 1 pound on a good week.

Keep in mind that:

The closer you get to your goal, the harder it will be to reach it--in fact, you may NEVER reach it (ever talk to someone who's still trying to lose that last 5 pounds?).

The weight you can maintain may not be the weight you want to be. Scale weight isn't always the best way to track progress. The scale won't tell you what you've lost and/or gained. Be sure to use other tools to track your progress.

It's helpful to know what you have to do before you get started. Many people are surprised at the daily effort it takes to reach their goals.Once you know what you're doing and how you're doing it, you'll need some strategies for sticking with it:

Schedule your workouts

• Set weekly goals and reward yourself each time you succeed
• Work out with friends or family for added motivation
• Recommit to your goals every day
• Be prepared by always having your workout bag with you, bringing your lunch to work, etc.
• Keep a food and workout journal to stay on track and measure your progress
• Take your measurements regularly

Flexibility

Why Should You Stretch?

• You'll improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury
• You'll reduce muscle soreness and improve your posture
• You'll help reduce lower back pain
• You'll increase blood and nutrients to the tissues
• You'll improve your coordination
• You'll enjoy exercise more and help reduce stress

How to Stretch

When doing static stretches, don't bounce. Hold a comfortable position until you feel a gentle pull on your muscle. It shouldn't hurt and bouncing could cause you to pull a muscle. Try to hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds to get some long-term flexibility benefits. You can also stretch between strength training sets and you may want to perform light stretches throughout the day to deal with tight shoulders, neck and lower back.

When you stretch after the workout, try to hit all the muscles you used, paying close attention to any chronically tight areas.

Yoga

A well-rounded program includes cardio. weight training and flexibility. Knowing how to implement these components can be confusing. Should you do cardio and strength training on the same day? Which one should you do first? This will depend on your goals, schedule and fitness level, which means there are endless ways to set up your workout program. Below are some basic guidelines for getting started with a complete exercise program.

For Beginners:

For Intermediate/Advanced Exercisers-Goal:

Weight Loss Plateaus

• Changing the frequency (adding a day or subtracting a day of workouts)
• Changing the intensity (adding more or less weight to your exercises, or working harder or easier on your cardio)
• Changing the amount of time your exercising (if you usually walk for 20 minutes, try walking for 25 or 30 minutes)
• Changing the type of activity (for strength training, changing the exercises, for cardio trying something completely new)

Keeping track of your workouts can help you determine when you need to change them. Use a calendar or a workout log and write down your workouts for six weeks. At the end of that time, sit down with your log and create a new routine by changing the elements mentioned above.

Staying Motivated

To stay motivated try these tricks:

Workout with a friend. When a friend is waiting for you, you're less likely to back out! Make a list of goals and put them on the refrigerator. When you think about skipping your workout, go back and read your list. Remember why you're doing this! Keep track of your progress. When you reach a goal, that will motivate you to keep going! Wake up each day and ask yourself how you'll make your day healthy. Plan your workouts the night before and be prepared with a workout bag ready to go so there are no excuses! Reward yourself! It's important to pat yourself on the back for reaching your goals. Get yourself a massage, a new pair of workout shoes or a night on the town every so often.