Choosing The Right
Exercise Program Or Plan For You
By Donovan Baldwin
When it comes to deciding on
how, when, where, and how hard to exercise,
many people let themselves be influenced by friends, the media, or some
article in a magazine. In the long run, the type of exercise
you do should depend on you. Your likes and dislikes in
activities come into play, as well as such questions as what kind of
equipment will be needed, or will you need training to do the
activity. You also need to look at what you hate doing, as
well. Do you like or dislike the idea of paying membership
fees? Are you willing or not willing equipment?
These are all things you need to consider before choosing the right
exercise program for you.
The simple fact is that if you choose something that you don't like to
do, you aren't going to keep doing it for a long period of
time. Of course, you might choose something that appeals to
you at the time, but turns out NOT to be your cup of tea!
That happens. Until you become more certain of what is going
to work well for you, you may have to try a few different programs.
However, do not run out and buy expensive equipment until you are sure
you are going to use it. Remember also, that the equipment
itself does not do the work. I watched a lot of people
running and doing pushups when I was in the Army, and I never got any
stronger or more fit until I ran and did pushups myself.
In the Army, I did not have the luxury of choosing the right exercise
plan, but I did get something out of the experience. I
learned that to get where I wanted to go, I had to make the effort,
even when it didn't feel good.
The Army provided my motivation. They did not come to me and
say, "Choose the right exrcise program for you."
However, they did show me that I had the ability to do a lot of things,
even the ones that did not appeal to me that much!
You don't have the Army behind you. You are more likely to
succeed if you DO choose the right exercise program for you.
However, that alone does not guarantee success with it. You
will need to do it even when you don't feel like it, and you need to do
it consistently and regularly. In many cases, those last two
items, consistence and regular participation, are the two most
important aspects of any exercise program you choose.
Think about it! If you don't like jogging, you probably
aren't going to get up at 6 AM and go running. If you can't
find something you like to do, at least choose something you don't hate
as much. For many, this will often be walking.
Don't get upset, by the way, if walking, or whatever you choose as the
right exercise program for you, doesn't seem to be the activity which
provides the results you think you want to achieve. You are
getting started. A few weeks, or months, of regular walking
as exercise, can propel you to a new level of fitness where you feel
encouraged, and able, to try another activity. Many who start
out walking wind up hiking and camping, just for one example.
A lady named Kelly Nelson,
the bodybuilding
grandma, decided at age 53 to try a few exercises to firm up
the "batwings" on the backs of her arms. She got to enjoying
that small exercise program, so she added a few more
exercises. A few months later, she competed in a bodybuilding
contest...and won!
You've got to start somewhere!
Anyway, whether it's the right exercise program for you or not, walking
is great exercise.
This is so as it suits all levels of fitness and can be adapted for any
level of proficiency or difficulty.
Anyone can start a walking program at any time. It's normally
primarily the intensity and duration of the program that
differs.
Walking is also a social exercise. It usually isn't all that
difficult to find a training partner to chat with while you
exercise. Walking with a partner will also make time go by
faster.
However, no matter what exercise you choose as the right program for
you, you should start at a low level of intensity and build it up over
a period of weeks. This process is essential to the longevity
of your exercise program. If you start off too hard, you
could end up with an injury which will require time off to get
over. Even if no injury is visible or directly observable,
exercise tends to work many of its miracles by causing small internal
injuries which the body then has to repair...usually making things a
little stronger.
Also, even if you choose the right exercise program for you, your body
has not been doing this exercise program. There are many
internal adjustments it will need to make in order to sustain the
activity, and advancement, no matter how much you enjoy the activity.
If you are really in bad shape, like most adult American, and many in
countries trying to follow the western influence, you should start off
by walking for 10 minutes each day...perhaps even less if you feel that
this is still a bit too much. One good clue is whether or not
you want to do it again tomorrow. If you find yourself
dreading it, maybe it is not the right exercise program for you, but
maybe your body has looked inside itself and seen damage that you have
not noticed externally.
In that case, you may wish to drop back a little for a few days on your
routine. Then, increase the intensity by 5 minutes every 2
weeks...or more if you still feel discomfort; mentally OR
physically. Doing thins To make the activity more interesting
can help. You chould try walking a different course every few
days or walking with different friends on different days.
Drive to a park you like and walk there. Take time to smell
the roses and to watch the leaves change colors. Enjoy the
sight of children at play.
On that not, by the way, walking is great exercise
for kids as well as for grownups, and it gives you a chance
to build a habit that will last for life, strengthen the bond between
you and your child, and create memories that will not be forgotten.
One old standby test of whether your exercise program is too intense is
whether or not you can carry on a conversation with someone while
exercising. Another might be whether or not you can enjoy the
sights and sounds around you while you exercise.
If, on the other hand, walking just isn't really your thing, then you
may want to try a fitness center or purchase some free weights or even
one of the many all
in one machines, such as a Bowflex, or Total Gym.
Both the gym and the home exercise machines provide loads of
variety. Normally, gyms will have personal trainers on hand
to answer any questions you may have. When you choose a
fitness center, ask around and make sure that they give good
service. It doesn't hurt to drop by for a visit just to check
things out. Most of the time, the owners and managers are
accustomed to visitors wishing to access their establishment.
Obviously, if they aren't willing to treat you well as a visitor before
you join, then they certainly won't after you join. You
should also make sure that all the equipment they use is well taken
care of. It's really pretty easy to find out, as all you have
to do is listen to the machines. If they squeak a lot or make
excessive noise (they'll all make some noise), then chances are they
aren't being taken care of.
If, after all this, you still aren't sure what you should do, then
maybe you should look into gardening, swimming, bike riding, golf, or
tennis. Those las two are good social activities in most
areas, and you can even meet new friends. Tennis is great for
fitness although it can be challenging for someone who is just starting
out. If you haven't exercised in a long time, then golf may
be the best activity for you, but you won't get much benefit by
throwing your clubs on the back of a cart and driving around the
course.
I believe it was Mark Twain who said something to the effect that golf
was a good way to spoil a walk.
What it comes down to is that choosing the right exercise program for
you is a problem you will have to solve. Give yourself time
and permission to follow a couple of false trails, and you should come
out all right if you just stick with it.
While I do not normally recommend diets themselves, healthy eating is
important to any health, fitness, or weight loss program. Click Here
to learn more about Diet To Go
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P. S. If you want to learn more about why Diets Don't Work,
please click here.
If you want to learn how to burn fat, a great book to read is Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom
Venuto
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