New to Exercise?

You’re Ready.  You’re Committed.  Now where do you start?  First and foremost, before starting any exercise program, a visit to the doctor may be in order.  If you have been inactive, are overweight, suffer from any ailments or are recovering from an injury, it is always best to receive clearance from your doctor first.

Next, you will want to identify your goals.  Is your goal to lose weight, gain muscle or a combination of the two?  Are you looking to lower your cholesterol, get your diabetes in check, or ensure your health for many years to come?  Or are you just looking to be active and keep up with your children or grandchildren?

Once you have established your goals, then you will want to develop a plan.  How often will you exercise?  What form of exercise will help you achieve your goals?  What time of day best fits your schedule?  The Center for Disease Control recommends a minimum of thirty minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. If you are new to exercise, you will want to take it slow and steady.  Try starting with a few days a week, but start small with ten minutes of exercise; once your body gets acclimated to exercising, gradually increase duration, intensity or both.  Increase your exercise by a few minutes each week until you’re up to the recommended thirty minutes.

The most important thing when deciding to start an exercise program is:  Have Fun!  Pick your workouts based on your interests.  You are more likely to be successful and stick to a program if you are participating in an activity you enjoy.  Does running burn more calories than walking?  You bet.  But the walk you will take burns a heck of a lot more calories than the run you won’t do.  If you don’t like running, don’t.  If you love walking, walk.

A great start for beginners, Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds Ultimate Collection, contains four workouts on one DVD.  The workouts range from just under 20 minutes to 60 minutes covering 1-4 miles.  Each workout builds in intensity so you can grow with the workouts.  To increase the intensity one-pound hand weights can be used.  A Stretchie, resistance band, is used to incorporate strength training into the routines.  At under $10, it is a great bargain as well.