Q: What are five steps you’d recommend for someone interested in getting started with a fitness program?
The first five steps that come to mind would be:
1. Physician’s Approval – Make a visit to see your doctor to ensure you’re ok to exercise. Not only will you be able to address any potential red flags that might have slipped under the rug, but you’ll also gain a baseline measure of yourcholesterol levels, blood pressure, body weight and other factors related to youroverall health. These documented baseline numbers can be used to check your progress over time.
2. Determine Time Commitment – Be completely honest with yourself about what time you will exercise. What is the time commitment you can keep – before work, during lunch break, after dinner? Do not set a time commitment without first setting realistic targets. In case life stuff happens, create a fall-back plan for the days that time is not available. This way you will not feel guilty when you are not able to meet your time commitment for fitness when conditions make it impossible to do so. With time commitments, persistence integrated with reality is the key to success.
3. Determine Goals – Start small, but think grand. Whether it’s to walk a couple of times a week, run a marathon, shed some weight or build some muscle, it’s important that you have a goal to work towards. Since weight loss is a common goal, realistic expectations are a very important consideration for building motivation. For example, with sufficient exercise and a diet plan suitable to your needs, it is realistic to lose 0.5 pound to 1 pound per week in a healthful manner (medications may affect weight loss). Losing 10 pounds in 10 days sounds great, but is not realistic orsustainable in the long run.
4. Create Your Mode – Find your element to succeed with fitness. You can create aworkout room at home (paint the room colors you like and use music, DVDs, TV, etc.) to boost your chances of sticking with it. If not at home, maybe there’s a trail you’d like to hike/walk, a gym you’d like to try or if you prefer privacy, maybe having a personal trainer in your home or going to their personal studio would work well for you.
5. Consider Support – Team-up with a friend, partner, spouse, co-worker or trainer. The more support you have, the more likely you’ll stay committed to your fitness plan. Whether you use a fitness DVD, join with a friend, or work with a trainer, remember that exercise knowledge is an important key to customizing your plan to optimize results.
When using these five steps, I ask my clients to take time to think through each one of these steps, considering them with all the other responsibilities, must do’s and want to do’s. In this way you can ensure you do not over-commit which can lead to frustration and eventual de-motivation. To be successful, the five steps must fit into your current life style and daily plans.
Many of our other successful keys to fitness are provided in Fitness True Health Tips.
“Fitness True Health Tips is one of the most concise and informative books on fitness available on the market today. While other trainers require you to purchase hundreds of dollars in videos and equipment to begin your workout program, True Health Unlimited offers you personal, proven and practical advice at a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for hard facts presented with a personal touch, look no further. Advice like this is hard to find.”
– Bob Houlihan, Software Executive, South Windsor, CT
