Ten Ways to Start an Exercise Program

The beginning of the new year is a popular time to start an?exercise program, after months?of holiday indulgences. Are you ready?to start a healthier lifestyle? Here?s 10?recommendations to help you stick to?your resolution this year:

1. Get to Know Your Body
Every exerciser must have a basic?understanding of the human body. This?includes:
? proper identification of the major muscle?groups
? knowledge about the effects of activity vs.?inactivity
? distinction between stretching and?strengthening a muscle
? distinction between ?good pain? (muscle?burn and fatigue) and ?bad pain? (joint?pain, lower back pain/impingement).

If you know nothing about the workings of the body, you may be putting yourself in a?dangerous position. I once worked with an older man who, in response to experiencing?soreness from exercise the day prior, decided to address the issue by doing more of what?got him sore in the first place. Rather than stretching or resting the muscle, he assumed?that working more would do the trick. He was forced to take even more time off to?relieve the resulting soreness. This man, a senior vice president for a successful financial?firm, was not uneducated. He was simply uninformed.

2. Understand Why You Are Exercising
Pose questions to yourself such as, ?Why did I decide to start exercising?? It is suggested?that exercisers who are intrinsically motivated experience more positive effects and better?adherence than those who are extrinsically motivated. Intrinsically motivated exercisers?do so for the satisfaction gained from engaging in the activity itself; in other words, they?exercise for the challenge, to gain or learn skills, or to have fun. Extrinsically motivated?exercisers do so as a means to an end; they exercise simply to improve their fitness or?appearance. The proper reason behind exercising can act as powerful and long-lasting?fuel.

3. Know Where You Are
In other words, know your current fitness level. You will need at?least a general idea so you can accurately measure your progress?moving forward. Assess your aerobic and muscular fitness,?flexibility and body composition by recording:
? Your pulse rate before and after you walk one mile;
? How many push-ups you can do at one time;
? Your sit-and-reach (how far you can reach forward with your?legs out in front of you); and
? Your waist circumference as measured around your abdomen.

4. Know Where You Want To Be
In other words, know your ideal fitness level. To start, create a?clear and vivid picture in your mind?what does this look and?feel like? What are you able to do now that you weren’t able to do?before? The act of creating this picture alone can conjure positive?and pleasant emotions.

5. Know How You Will Get There
In other words, identify the exercise program or activities that?will take you to your ideal fitness level. As a rule, never choose an?activity that doesn’t interest or excite you. Rather than fit into a?generic exercise regimen, try to fit one to your needs. If you are?looking for a social atmosphere, think about joining a class?there?s boot camp, yoga, spinning, swim and dance among others.?If you are looking for something more private, inquire at your?local gym about personal training.

6. Develop a Comfortable Routine
ACSM recommends that adults participate in at least 150?minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity. With?this understanding, find a challenging yet realistic starting point?upon which you can build over time. Don?t overwhelm your?system by doing too much, but don?t underwhelm your system?by doing too little. While devising your schedule?that is,?minutes per day and days per week of exercise?also recognize?any obstacles that may impede your progress. What excuses have?you made in the past that have prevented you from exercising
consistently? Start by altering your thinking. Mentally commit to?the process so you?re in a good mindset to begin.

7. Write It All Down
Organize your daily goals, weekly goals, longer-term goals and?exercise program/routine on paper. Studies find that those who?write down their goals can accomplish up to 16 percent more?than those who do not.

8. Gather Your Accessories
Purchase a new pair of athletic shoes or activity-appropriate gear.?It may seem superficial, but looking good sometimes precedes?feeling good and is typically an effective motivating tool. Also,?compile a soundtrack of your favorite music; studies have shown?that listening to music during exercise can improve results, as a?motivator (people exercise longer and more vigorously to music)?and as a distraction from fatigue.

9. Create Incentives
Develop a reward system ahead of time for the goals you?accomplish along the way.

10. Get Started and Trust the Process
You’ve done all the behind-the-scenes work, now it?s time to?go out and reap the benefits of your preparation. A common?deterrent to exercise adherence is impatience: many first-time?exercisers expect dramatic body-altering results after mere weeks,?or even days, of increased movement. But don?t give up if you?aren’t immediately seeing the desired physical results. Real change?may take up to several months. Trust the process, and enjoy the?journey.