What are some tips to help me start working out?
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Dr. Michael Roizen answered:Do mini-workouts. Often, the toughest thing about exercise isn't doing it, it's fitting it in. If you can't swing a 30-minute walk every day, plus about 30 minutes a week of strength training (our easy Rx for fitness), don't worry about it! Slicing and dicing your activity into 10-minute chunks spread throughout the day works just as well for your weight, waist-management, and health. Just be sure to do 30 minutes total. Here's a simple way to get started if you've spent the last few months (or years) on the couch:
- Use the buddy system. Why go it alone when being in cahoots with a healthy-change partner doubles your odds for success? You keep each other honest and cheer each other on. Plus, walking and talking with a pal naturally blows off stress -- another big health booster.
- Find an enforcer. Don't trust yourself? Add another layer of support, like your doctor or significant other. "Reporting in" regularly is a proven way to get to your goals.
- Give it two weeks. That's how long it takes your brain to start cementing a new habit, such as walking every day.
- Just move it. Pace, don't sit, when you're talking on the phone. Do an extra lap around the office when you go to get coffee. Put your new exercise bike smack in front of the TV. Clean the kitchen like you're doing an aerobics class. Take a 10-minute break every chance you get and walk -- or just do two flights of stairs. Your break now counts toward your daily exercise goal! Sweet.
Do mini-workouts. Often, the toughest thing about exercise isn't doing it, it's fitting it in. If you can't swing a 30-minute walk every day, plus about 30 minutes a week of strength training (our easy Rx for fitness), don't worry about it! Slicing... More -
Ashley Koff answered:Here are a few tips to make your move into working out regularly be as easy and effective as possible:
- Pay attention to how you feel. As you exercise, ask yourself: Can I push harder? How am I breathing? To have fun is to make your workouts a challenge.
- Get meditative about it. Find workouts that take you away. Listen to music that has as beat and rhythm to it that synchs with your workout. Create a playlist with songs that have a certain number of beats-per-minute depending on the type of workout you want to have. It's hard to pick up your pace if you're listening to Frank Sinatra.
- Get a mentor or group of mentors. Remember, group classes can help keep you stimulated and focused. Or get a friend who is in better shape than you and work out with her.
- Hire a trainer. A trainer can help keep you focused, busy, and motivated. You may need only one session to learn a comprehensive routine that you can repeat, modify, and improvise as you move forward.
- Think whole body. Visualize what your body parts do. Arms lift, push, pull, press, swing. So find machines that do those motions. Watch other people in the gym. Using the individual machines that focus on a particular body part is sometimes the best way to start. You want to hit arms, back, shoulders, chest, abs, legs front and back, calves, and core.
- Take a strength class where the instructor uses weights. This can help you learn positioning and how the exercise is supposed to feel as well as know what muscle you are working. This way when you get in the gym by yourself you will feel very comfortable picking up the free weights.
- Try the kettlebells. These are all the rage today but form and style are imperative to make this type of exercise effective. If your gym offers these classes, take one!
- Go for new gadgets. Gyms are typically filled with odd-looking gadgets -- exercise balls, rubber tubing, ropes, jump ropes, foam rollers, etc. -- that will add so much to your workouts. Before testing them out on your own, ask a trainer for help or check out the schedule for classes that teach you how to use them.
Here are a few tips to make your move into working out regularly be as easy and effective as possible: Pay attention to how you feel. As you exercise, ask yourself: Can I push harder? How am I breathing? To have fun is to make your workouts a... More -
National Academy of Sports Medicine answered:Start by scheduling an appointment with your doctor for a physical exam. Check with your doctor to make sure you have no restrictions to exercise. Next, consider joining a local gym and purchasing some sessions with a certified personal trainer to learn how to exercise in a safe and effective manner. If you are not ready to join a gym, then determine your fitness goal first. Create a balanced exercise routine that incorporates both cardio and strength training. Start with caution and slowly progress the intensity of your exercise. Make exercise a priority by scheduling it into your daily routine; even it’s just for 10 to 15 minutes. Also, plan on changing the activities you perform each week to help avoid boredom. Lastly, remember to schedule rest days each week to give you plenty of time to recover.
Start by scheduling an appointment with your doctor for a physical exam. Check with your doctor to make sure you have no restrictions to exercise. Next, consider joining a local gym and purchasing some sessions with a certified personal trainer to... More
