Guidelines
First, it’s important to establish a baseline. What should you be aiming for? According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans we all need to do two types of physical activity each week in order to improve our health; health-aerobic and muscle strengthening. Adults should have 150 minutes of aerobic exercise every week.
You can reach this requirement by doing moderate-intensity exercise , or a combination of moderate- intensity and vigorous aerobic activity . Keep in mind that one minute of vigorous exercise is the equivalent of two minutes of moderate-intensity. In addition you need to do muscle strengthening exercises two days a week. You can reach this requirement by doing yoga, lifting weights or working with resistance bands.
Before you Hit The Gym
If you’ve never had a consistent daily or even weekly exercise routine, fitness director Leigh Ann Wheaton says it’s important to see your doctor before beginning any sort of exercise routine. Once you’ve been cleared, you can start working out without risking serious health problems or injury.
Aerobic Exercise
For someone going from “the couch to the fitness center,” finding an activity you enjoy is one of the most important keys to success, says Wheaton. For your aerobic exercise, if you find the treadmill boring, try walking around the track or getting on the cross trainer. Wheaton says the goal should be to get your heart rate up and to raise your body’s core temperature by one degree.
Muscle Strengthening
While it’s important to work your large muscle group, don’t neglect the smaller muscles and your core. To make sure you workout all of these areas, Wheaton suggests setting up a circuit cycle to make sure you work different muscles instead of doing hundred of reps focusing only on one muscle group. Exercises like rowing and squats can help you to work that large muscle group while isolation exercises like shoulder press can focus on the smaller groups. Balance exercises using an exercise ball can help to target your core.
Staying Motivated
While commitment is important no matter what stage of a workout routine you’re in, motivation is especially important when you’re just getting started. Try to identify whether you’re intrinsically motivated—you’re a self-motivator or extrinsically motivated—you find motivation from others. While Wheaton says those who are intrinsically motivated usually find it easier to keep with fitness routine, those who are extrinsically motivated can still be successful. She suggests making connections, whether it is with a personal trainer, a group of friends or people in a fitness class in order to stay committed.
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