Exercising is a major health benefit and can help you lose some of the extra weight that seems to have attached itself to you and won’t let go. If you’re a beginning exerciser, you may be tempted to go all out right from the beginning.
You might do yourself more harm than good. Here are some tips to keep in mind when starting an exercise program:
You should always start off light and slow and build up endurance for the more strenuous exercise regimens. Even bodybuilders start off with lighter weights instead of jumping into 500 pound lifts when they’ve never done it before.
Start off with something easy, such as walking. Walk for a short distance or only for a short amount of time at first. When you feel you’re body is doing well with this pace, increase the distance or time a little and keep building momentum.
When you’ve done well with your walking, consider adding another exercise to your routine. Adding a little at a time can make it easier on your body, but also helps to prevent boredom.
Before starting your exercise routine for the day, always stretch your muscles first. Without stretching, you’re increasing your risk for sprained or strained muscles. The muscles that you’ll be using need to be ready for the workout they’ll receive.
If they aren’t warmed up and you suffer strained muscles, you’ll cost yourself several days of exercising and you’ll end up needing to start back at square one. It’s also important to do some cool down stretching exercises once you’ve completed your routine for the day. This helps you relax the muscles after a nice workout so they’ll work properly for your other daily activities and not be as sore.
Once you add a few different types of exercises to your routine, you can alter the days you do them or combine them in different orders to break up boredom. If you walk and ride a stationary bike every day, you’ll soon get bored with it and then find yourself skipping days until you’re no longer exercising.
Consider exercising with a friend or family member. It’s always helpful to have someone to chat with to pass the time while you exercise and it gives you someone to help keep you focused and on track. Exercising with a friend helps bind you to the promise you made to yourself that would never quit.