So you have home gym equipment and/or a health
club membership, and you may even be using them on a regular basis.
But, how do you put together an exercise plan that not only helps
you improve your body's health, but also do it in a way that fits
the rest of your life?
1. Define what your goals are. Are
you looking to lose weight? Gain muscle? Tone up what you already
have? You'll need to decide what it is you want to accomplish before
you can define what your plan is.
2. Understand that you need to start slowly. Your
body will adjust quickly to the changes that will take place as you
get into a regular exercise program - but overdoing things at the
beginning will have the opposite effect you are looking for. Start
with a simple program, and build onto it as your fitness improves.
3. Decide how much time you can spend
per day. And, and dedicate yourself to using that time
for your fitness workouts. Keep in mind that committing two percent
of your day will get you to where you need to be!
4. Write it down beforehand. Plan
out your workouts, and keep track of your results. Pick your exercises,
pick your weight for the exercise, pick your number of sets / number
of reps, pick your time that you'll do cardio, and commit to it.
5. When doing your planning - break up your
routine. For example - if you're doing weight training,
don't try to train all your muscle groups in one session, Rather,
schedule your chest and arm exercises for one session, back and
shoulder exercises for the next, and legs & abdominals for
the third. Keeping variety in your training will not only help
keep you motivated, it also helps keep you from overtraining and
getting hurt.
6. See your doctor. Before you
put your plan into action, talk to your doctor, and make sure that
what you've planned won't hurt you, only help you!
7. Learn about your body. Learn
about what muscles make up your body, and what exercises work the
muscle groups you'd like to concentrate on. Learn about what the
difference is between "cardio efficiency" and "burning
fat". For example, running on the treadmill at your peak speed,
may build your cardiovascular system, but running at a much slower
pace actually is better for training your body to burn fat.
Your plan is just that - yours. In the end, you'll
only get out of your plan what you put into it. And, the best way
to create a successful plan is to create something that you're not
just comfortable with, but a plan that challenges you to push yourself
just a little bit farther! only get out of your plan what you put into it. And, the best way to create a successful plan is to create something that you're not just comfortable with, but a plan that challenges you to push yourself just a little bit farther!
