Haven’t worked out in a while? Check out these 7 Tips before you Start Exercising

7 Tips to get you Started with Exercise.

You may have already noticed that by the time you approach or enter middle age, you don’t move as fast, your joints may begin to ache, and you’ve gotten caught up in family and work life making little to no time for physical activity. Or maybe you were the type that never enjoyed exercise and did as little as possible. 

By now you’ve heard that physical activity a.k.a. exercise is important in life which not only helps our muscles and joints but improves circulation, cardiovascular health, digestive Health, emotional and mental well-being, and a host of other positive benefits. So where do you begin on your exercise journey?

Below you’ll find 7 tips to help get you back on track toward your exercise goals.

Check with your doctor to see if there are any exercises or activities that you should avoid.

As we age, many folks will develop arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and other health conditions. Your doctor can educate you on your current health and give you guidelines for your exercise program. For example, adults with arthritic joints may need to avoid some activity activities if their joints are painful and inflamed.

Determine what your health and fitness goals are?

Are you looking to lose weight, fit in your favorite swimsuit, keep up with your kids/grandkids, feel better, sleep more soundly? Whatever your health goals are, write down both your short term and long-term goals and list a realistic time frame to achieve those goals. Keep in mind, it’s not reasonable to expect to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks for an upcoming special event or to run a marathon in a month if you’ve never trained for one. Check out acefitness.org detailing how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Start slowly.

The old expression that you must ‘crawl before you walk’ applies here. Don’t expect your body to try to run a mile around the local school track when you’ve never done it. Start by walking out your front door, down the street listening to your favorite music or podcast. When you go to the grocery store or the big box stores, park further away to encourage more walking. Take the stairs versus the elevator to get to your upstairs apartment or office floor. Take breaks when you need to. Do not follow the ‘no pain no gain’ rule here. It does not apply. Come up with one or two activities that you enjoy. You can step out the front door and start walking or stay indoors and use a bike or treadmill. If you belong to a gym, then you have more choices. In the beginning, you may only be able to do 5 to 10 minutes and that’s OK! Don’t exercise to the point of exhaustion or shortness of breath. Take it easy and build up slowly.

Create a schedule and stay consistent.

Look at your schedule and find a consistent day and time that you can set aside for yourself. It may be before your spouse and kids get up or if you’re a night owl like me, it’s after they go to bed. Whatever time you decide is best for you to work out, write it down or set it up on your Google Calendar and stick with it. Allow rest days in between so your body has time to recover. If you woke up late to work out, or have a day that is crazy busy, give yourself grace. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t complete your full workout. Do a little activity during the day as you’re able to. Life happens.

Create your fitness plan.

After you’ve determined your most enjoyable activities and created a schedule to fit time in for you, now you can plot out your week. You may find that Monday, Wednesday, & Friday a.m. you’ll go for a 30-to-45-minute walk or bike. Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday will be your strength training days. If the program you set up doesn’t work or you get bored, mix it up. Try switching up your cardio activity on those days, sometimes a change in the order of strength training activities or changing up the routine can bring more enthusiasm and adherence to the program.

Workout gear.

Find athletic shoes and clothing that are comfortable and that fits properly. If your feet hurt due to poor footwear guess what, you’re not going to work out. If your workout clothing fits, feels, and looks good, you’re going to feel more confident doing your work out whether you’re alone at home, walking the sidewalk or working out at your local gym.

Monitor your progress.

Check in with yourself 4 to 6 weeks later and you may find that you weigh less, lost inches around your hips or lowered your blood pressure. Whatever your initial goals were, check with yourself 4-6 weeks later to see the progress you’ve made. If you did not achieve your desired goals, reevaluate the goals to see if they are realistic for the timeframe you set up. You may need to modify your goals. But don’t get discouraged. This is not a sprint but a cross country marathon working toward healthy habits and healthy benefits.

If you are unsure of where to begin or what types of activity to do, consider reaching out to a personal trainer who can listen to your health goals and work with you to design a plan that you will enjoy and stick with it.

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