9 Tips for Beginning Your Fitness Program

Proper preparation for a fitness program is essential in order to achieve the best results. The following tips will not only help you when starting a new fitness program, but also help you to stay consistent with it over the long term.

The list is as follows:

1. Prior to beginning an exercise program, speak with your physician, especially if you have a medical condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are overweight, sedentary, over 35 years old, have any heart problems, or have a history of heart problems in your family.

2. Set achievable, measurable, attainable, realistic goals. Write them down and keep them someplace visible. STUDY and read ALOUD everyday!!

3. Wear comfortable clothing that will absorb perspiration. Choose clothing that won’t restrict your movement, and remember that this is about fitness, not fashion. Wear good athletic shoes that provide plenty of arch support. Leave the jeans at home.

4. Track your workouts on paper. This helps ensure that you consistently challenge yourself to do more in your program, allows you to see the progress you are making, and gives you a record to monitor so you know when to build variety and progression into your program.

5. Warm up for 3 – 5 minutes with a light activity that targets all the major muscle groups prior to beginning your fitness program. Running or jogging in place, jump rope or jumping jacks are good options to start with.

6. After your workout, finish with a cool down phase of 5-10 minutes. This is also a good time to incorporate any stretching into your fitness program.

7. Consistency is the key with any fitness program designed to achieve lasting, long-term results. Start with small steps, but keep moving forward with your program consistently.

8. Do not go overboard with your fitness program. Exercise is like anything else, and too much of a good thing can be detrimental. Give your body adequate rest, not only by getting a good night’s sleep on a consistent basis, but by varying your exercise routine so that you do not suffer from repetitive use injuries.

9. Do not be discouraged if at times you seem to be regressing instead of progressing. Everyone has bad days and when it comes to weight training this is especially true. Some days you might barely be able to lift a pencil while other days it seems as if no weight is to heavy. This is normal. Stay the course and continue to exercise.