How do you go from being a couch potato to getting plenty of exercise every week? Jumping into a new exercise routine could end up hurting more than helping. Setting a goal of going from no exercise to working out thirty minutes a day five days a week may find you getting frustrated and giving up before you have given yourself a chance.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends thirty minutes of moderate exercise three times a week. Try starting with the three days a week, but start small with ten minutes of exercise. Increase your exercise by a few minutes each week until you’re up to the recommended thirty minutes.
Adding in strength training will help you as well. Two ten to twenty minute sessions each week will aid in toning as well as weight loss. Strength training can be more than just lifting weights. Using things like exercise bands, a Swiss ball or stability ball, or resistance will give you the strength training you need without giving you a lot of bulk in muscles. With weight lifting, you do not need to lift heavy weights in order to achieve results. Using small two or five pound hand weights will work just as well and still give you the benefit you are looking for.
Keeping variety in your workout will help you stay active and keep you from getting bored.
What kinds of exercises can you do?
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Walking
- Dancing – belly dancing, ballroom dancing
- Swimming
- Bicycling
- Aerobics
- Stair climbing
- Elliptical machine
- Skating
- Jumping rope
- Kickboxing
Getting up and getting moving is the most important thing. The duration and intensity can always be increased.
You can add exercise to your day without much effort. When you are shopping, park farther away from the store instead of looking for the closest parking lot, do an extra lap around the store or mall, scrub the floor on your hands and knees rather than with a mop, get out and pull weeds in the flower beds, use a push mower instead of a riding mower and so on. All of these are burning calories and are giving you benefits without a significant change in your schedule.
Keeping the motivation to exercise going can be a difficult thing. Sometimes it helps to have a specific goal that you are “training” for. Do you want to do a 5k walk or run for breast cancer, muscular dystrophy or some other worthy cause? Do you just want to be able to keep up with your kids? If you want to do a 5k walk or run, start with a half mile walk or one mile if your body is able to handle it, then gradually increase the distance you are able to go and increase the frequency.
Vary the route you use for walking, running or bike riding. Change the scenery around you. If you like water, plot courses along lakes, creeks or other bodies of water. If you like nature, look for courses that go through woods and trees. The website, Mapmyrun.com allows you to chart courses in your area for the distance you are looking for, or check for courses that others have already mapped.
Find a friend or partner to exercise with. Knowing that another person is waiting for you makes you more likely to stick with your program, and you get the added benefit of spending time with a friend.
As you begin to make exercise a regular part of your day, you will notice increased energy, you will sleep better and instances of depression can diminish, in addition to the added benefit of weight loss or toning.
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