if you're new to exercise or have struggled with it in the past talk with your doctor about your exercise plans. after that start by incorporating more activity into your daily life. for instance: if you always take the elevator try the stairs. if you try to park next to the door of wherever you're going park farther away and walk. if your habit is to eat at your desk take a 10- to 20-minute walk first then have your lunch (or take a walk after you eat). instead of watching tv all day saturday and sunday plan active weekends. go to the park take a walking tour ride your bike or row a boat. whichever plan you decide on it's a good idea to set weekly goals: write down what activity you plan to do on what day of the week for how long and at what time of day. be as specific and realistic as possible. for instance write down "tuesday: walk for 20 minutes at 7 p. m. to the park and back. " at the end of each week review your goals and set new ones for the upcoming week. research shows that setting goals will help you stick to your program. it will clarify what you're supposed to do and let you track your progress. if you hit a roadblock later on you can refer back to what has worked in the past or use your accomplishments to re-energize yourself. first make sure that your doctor clears you for exercise before beginning. he or she may ask you to fill out the physical activity readiness questionnaire (par-q) to ensure that there is no reason for you not to exercise. i would then recommend setting personal goals using the s. m. a. r. t. acronym which stands for: s – specific m – measureable a – attainable r – realistic t – time-oriented here’s a sample goal keeping these principles in mind: “between january 1st and february 1st walk three days per week for twenty minutes per session to aid in weight loss. ” set up short term goals to help you meet your long term goals (6 months or more). think about what you want to achieve by beginning an exercise routine. do you want to lose weight lower your blood pressure or help manage diabetes? do you want to run a race such as a 5k? what do you hope to gain from starting exercise? the biggest problem that people have is that they overwhelm themselves by doing too much exercise too soon. it can be hard to sustain a drastic change like that long term. instead slowly and gradually progress with exercise to make for an easier transition and to allow your body to comfortably adjust. start out doing low impact exercise like walking or riding a bike then gradually increase the time intensity level or number of days per week that you exercise. if you’re new to strength training get help from a personal trainer to make sure that you are using the equipment properly. make a plan and stick to it.
where do i start if i have never exercised?