Anyone can perform a fitness program. Your health and wellness can depend in part upon your level of conditioning. Performing fitness exercises and routines or incorporating a different level of motion during your day for health reasons is important to your quality of your life.
Before beginning any program you should see your primary care provider to be sure that your plans don’t pose a problem with any medication you may be taking, your medical condition or be problematic with your current level of fitness. Be sure to communicate your real intentions with your healthcare provider. There is a vast difference between training for a marathon or running 2-3 times per week.
Performing physical fitness for health reasons should begin slowly. Your intention is to make this a lifetime commitment. If you begin any program too quickly you may lose interest, get too sore or get injured. Fitness may also not fit your current lifestyle habits. Incorporating the routines slowly will help to increase your level of success as you gradually make room in your day for improved health and overall wellness.
The benefits of exercise have been well documented in the research. From improved circulation, decreased cholesterol, reduced risk of illness, weight loss and a trimmer you, exercise can help to improve your lifespan and the quality of your life.
The best programs keep you moving for at least 30 minutes each. The type of exercise is not as important as the movement involved. Sitting on the bench playing softball or baseball is not exercise. Running to get in shape for the mad dash around the bases is exercise. The objective is to stay in motion for 30 minutes to get ready to play the baseball game – the game isn’t the exercise. On the other hand playing basketball is exercise. You have to be able to make those distinctions because if you don’t the only person you are cheating or fooling is yourself.
Your fitness program will improve if you choose several different types of exercise to alternate between. You’ll keep from getting bored and you’ll decrease your risk of injury since you won’t be working the same muscle groups day after day.
Try to incorporate a partner into your fitness program. Partners will keep you on track with your goals. They often provide motivation to continue moving or to get out of the house on that cold, rainy day. You can even have fitness for health partners for each of the activities you choose to pursue. Just be sure that you enjoy the activities since the more you enjoy it the longer you’ll stick with the program.
Try to stay moving throughout the day. If you have the chance to take the stairs instead of the elevator, do it! If you can take a 15 minute walk at lunch time instead of sitting over coffee with others who are smoking, do it! Find ways to incorporate movement during your day and you’ll find you experience more benefits from your fitness program.
Make time in your day for your fitness program. If you have time to watch television in your busy schedule then you also have time to workout. Challenge yourself to stick with the program since researchers have found that performing a routine for 5-6 weeks will make it a habit. A habit is harder to break once it’s established than to continue to do it each day.
