Much has been said about physical activity and its health benefits. Starting a fitness regimen may be one of the best things that you’ll do for your body. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to start exercising.
How to Get Started
Whether you’re going to start exercising because you want to get fit or because you have taken advantage of a fitness franchise opportunity and want to make good use of the facilities, you should rest easy knowing how simple it is to start a fitness program. All it takes is the following five steps:
Check Your Fitness Level
You probably already know how fit you are. Still, it’s important that you consult a doctor and run some tests so that you have a baseline of your fitness level. You can use this baseline as a benchmark to measure your progress. Also, a checkup can detect any health problems or conditions that may put you at risk of injury during physical activity.
Design Your Fitness Program
Once you decide to start exercising regularly, you need to make a plan that includes attainable goals. As you design your fitness program, you need to consider your fitness goals and create a balanced routine that targets your entire body. You should also design a routine that starts slowly; an aggressive approach can eventually leave you tired, demoralized, and possibly injured. You need to start cautiously, progress slowly, and remember to leave time for recovery.
Get Started
Once you have your fitness program, you can get started exercising! You just have to remember a few things while you’re on your fitness journey:
- Listen to your body. Remember to take a break when you feel shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, or pain. Don’t push yourself too hard or you may get injured.
- Be flexible. It’s important to stick to your fitness program, but don’t overdo it! If you’re not feeling well, give yourself permission to take a day or two off.
- Break things up if you need to. You can weave in activity throughout the day.
Monitor Your Progress
Six weeks after you start your fitness program, you should retake any fitness assessment tests you took at the onset. This is to check if you’re realizing your fitness goals. If you are, then that’s great! You only need to continue what you’re doing. If you’re not, then don’t lose motivation and get demoralized. You just have to set new goals or change up your activities. Exercising with a friend may help.
Make It a Habit
A key component of exercise is sticking to your routine. When people make their routines a habit, it’s easier for them to maintain the routine for the long haul. Make sure that you create a schedule and exercise at the same time every day for maximum effect.
Starting an exercise regimen is an important decision, but it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming and demanding one. If you plan carefully and remember to take care of yourself in the process, then you can establish a habit that’s good for your health and will last a lifetime.
