Starting to workout is different from continuing with a program, so it figures that the rules are different. If you are just starting to workout, or a re returning after a long lay-off, follow these suggestions to ensure that you make progress and stay injury free.
Many people start a new exercise program in January, and many of them have quit by February.
The causes of this high drop-out rate are legion - injury, lack of progress, unrealistic expectations, and even burnout.
One contributor to all of these is that people often start an exercise program as though they have been working out for years - they jump straight in and expect to be able to do what everyone else is doing.
Unfortunately, coaches can be as guilty of this as individuals.
But starting out, or returning after a long lay-off, is not the same as continuing a program, so read on to find out the right way to get into an exercise program.
o help you avoid being one of the February quitters, here's a few suggestions and tips for starting to exercise:
- If you are new to exercise, are returning after a long lay-off, have any health problems, or are
pregnant or elderly, then check with your doctor first in order to be clear what you can and can't do. - Have realistic expectations. Too often people jump in with both feet, a gung-ho attitude, and a recipe for failure. The result? With a few weeks (or sometimes even days), the commitment is gone, the resolution broken, the new gym membership wasted. It takes about 6 weeks to start to see meaningful results, so allow time for your new program to work its magic.
- Start off with a conservative, flexible plan. For example, rather than saying "I'll go to the gym every day this week", begin with "I'll go to the gym three times this week."
- Write out your workout schedule for the week to come, rather than just trying to 'fit your workouts in'. Meeting your goal each week is a great way to motivate yourself for the next week.
More tips for starting an exercise program
- Go slowly to begin with. If you've been inactive for years, you can't run the London Marathon after two weeks of training.
- Don't try and outdo the people you see at the gym who have been working out for years.
- Always warm up, take your workouts at an easy pace to begin with, and let your body adapt to the new strains you're putting it through.
- Gradually build up the frequency, time, and intensity of your workouts.
- Find someone else to work out with - it's more fun, and you're less likely to skip a workout if you know someone else is going to know about it.
- Follow a varied program. The more interest and variety you have in your program, the more likely you are to stick with it. There are loads to choose from:
- Classes (from aerobics to yoga)
- Weights (resistance) training
- Cardio workouts (indoors) - treadmill, stepper, bikes, rowing machine, elliptical trainer, lap swimming
- Sports (basketball, soccer etc)
- Outdoors exercise (walking, running, hiking, biking, rock climbing etc)
Final thoughts for starting an exercise program
When it's time to work out, even if you don't feel like it, go ahead and get changed. Many times, once you've done that you'll go ahead and do the workout.
Set goals for working out and then reward yourself for them - but not junk food or sweets though! So maybe for every 15 workouts you do you buy yourself a new CD, or something to wear. Or maybe if you lose 5 pounds you'll go see a show you've been wanting to see.
And finally, if you miss a day, don't use that as a reason to quit - just get back into the program the next day.
There's no magic formula to working out regularly, it's simply a case of doing the little things right day after day. So why not make today the day that it all starts for you?
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