UkrainianGuy
04-02-2011, 07:43 AM
Starting an exercise program
It takes time to develop and establish new habits, so have patience with yourself. You didn’t get out of shape overnight so you won’t get back in shape overnight. You will slowly be changing your internal dialogue and external situation.
Begin by checking with you doctor to ensure that you can safely exercise without restrictions. Once you have the OK, surround yourself with supportive people and role models. Having a support system is crucial in starting a workout program. Accountability and motivation are very important to success. Ask those who are active how they’ve set up their lifestyle to support activity. You will learn a lot from those who are doing what you want to do.
Physical health is often the last item on the daily agenda in trying to balance, school, jobs, relationships and all of the other demands of your daily life.
However, if you make physical fitness and healthy lifestyle a priority, you will find more energy and enthusiasm for the other areas of your life.
It takes repetition to create a habit so plan to do some form of exercise every day. This doesn’t mean a full workout. It could be just a short walk but incorporate exercise into each day.
Once you have created a habit by routine, your body will naturally want to keep moving. This is when you will add in other types of movement. Most people begin with walking and then gradually introduce other forms of exercise.
Ideally, your exercise routine should be goal oriented especially for new exercisers. Your goal must be realistic relative to your starting point, and measurable in a way that you will see your progress
Set Specific Goals. Research shows that specific goals are the most motivating. An example of a specific goal would be to reduce your 5K time by 30 seconds within 6 months. Many people just say they want to get faster. This goal is far too general to really motivate you in your training.
Set Measurable Goals. Simply saying that you want to get faster is not enough detail. You need to be able to chart and document progress toward your goal. One way to measure your progress is to document your performance at set intervals. In the above example you may want to time your 5K performance once a month so you have a good measurement.
Set Adjustable Goals. This means your goals are flexible enough to accommodate unexpected challenges without becoming obsolete. An injury may force you to modify your goal. If you goal is to run a certain distance at an event and you are injured, you may need to change your goal to do a shorter distance or some other event. An injury doesn't need to mean you abandon all your plans. At the same time, you may find you are progressing quickly and need to raise your goal.
Set Action-Oriented Goals Another important aspect of goal-setting to keep them focused on personal action. Don't forget to consider not only what you want to achieve, but how you plan to achieve it.
Set Realistic Goals. Start where you are, and increase your goals accordingly. If you haven't ever run a 5K it's probably not a wise goal to say you want to run a half marathon. While that may be your long-term goal, in the short-term you may want to shoot for the 5K on the way to your half marathon goal. This sort of progression is healthy and realistic. Also, keep in mind that as you become more and more fit and near your full potential the room for continued improvement gets smaller.
Similarly, if your goals are too simple, you won't feel much satisfaction by attaining them. Only you truly know what is realistic for you.
Set Time-based Goals. Having a long term goal in mind such working up to one hour workouts within the next six months is specific and time-based. Without a time line there is a tendency to procrastinate or get bored. You may also need to set interim goals with shorter timelines to keep you on track. In general, goals that stretch out beyond 6 months are too long to keep you interested and motivated. Try to re-evaluate your goals every 2-3 months.
It takes time to develop and establish new habits, so have patience with yourself. You didn’t get out of shape overnight so you won’t get back in shape overnight. You will slowly be changing your internal dialogue and external situation.
Begin by checking with you doctor to ensure that you can safely exercise without restrictions. Once you have the OK, surround yourself with supportive people and role models. Having a support system is crucial in starting a workout program. Accountability and motivation are very important to success. Ask those who are active how they’ve set up their lifestyle to support activity. You will learn a lot from those who are doing what you want to do.
Physical health is often the last item on the daily agenda in trying to balance, school, jobs, relationships and all of the other demands of your daily life.
However, if you make physical fitness and healthy lifestyle a priority, you will find more energy and enthusiasm for the other areas of your life.
It takes repetition to create a habit so plan to do some form of exercise every day. This doesn’t mean a full workout. It could be just a short walk but incorporate exercise into each day.
Once you have created a habit by routine, your body will naturally want to keep moving. This is when you will add in other types of movement. Most people begin with walking and then gradually introduce other forms of exercise.
Ideally, your exercise routine should be goal oriented especially for new exercisers. Your goal must be realistic relative to your starting point, and measurable in a way that you will see your progress
Set Specific Goals. Research shows that specific goals are the most motivating. An example of a specific goal would be to reduce your 5K time by 30 seconds within 6 months. Many people just say they want to get faster. This goal is far too general to really motivate you in your training.
Set Measurable Goals. Simply saying that you want to get faster is not enough detail. You need to be able to chart and document progress toward your goal. One way to measure your progress is to document your performance at set intervals. In the above example you may want to time your 5K performance once a month so you have a good measurement.
Set Adjustable Goals. This means your goals are flexible enough to accommodate unexpected challenges without becoming obsolete. An injury may force you to modify your goal. If you goal is to run a certain distance at an event and you are injured, you may need to change your goal to do a shorter distance or some other event. An injury doesn't need to mean you abandon all your plans. At the same time, you may find you are progressing quickly and need to raise your goal.
Set Action-Oriented Goals Another important aspect of goal-setting to keep them focused on personal action. Don't forget to consider not only what you want to achieve, but how you plan to achieve it.
Set Realistic Goals. Start where you are, and increase your goals accordingly. If you haven't ever run a 5K it's probably not a wise goal to say you want to run a half marathon. While that may be your long-term goal, in the short-term you may want to shoot for the 5K on the way to your half marathon goal. This sort of progression is healthy and realistic. Also, keep in mind that as you become more and more fit and near your full potential the room for continued improvement gets smaller.
Similarly, if your goals are too simple, you won't feel much satisfaction by attaining them. Only you truly know what is realistic for you.
Set Time-based Goals. Having a long term goal in mind such working up to one hour workouts within the next six months is specific and time-based. Without a time line there is a tendency to procrastinate or get bored. You may also need to set interim goals with shorter timelines to keep you on track. In general, goals that stretch out beyond 6 months are too long to keep you interested and motivated. Try to re-evaluate your goals every 2-3 months.