Exercise Preparation Hints and Guidelines

Proper preparation for a fitness program can serve several purposes. First, it helps prepare the body physiologically for the program, which means warming up the muscles and preparing the joints for loads. This in turn, decreases the risk of injury and improves general performance during your program. There are also other non-exercise related aspects of the program can help keep you on track and comfortable with your program. Following is a list of general guidelines:

1. Prior to initiating any type of exercise program, get a physical from your physician, especially if you are overweight, sedentary, over 35 years old, have any heart problems, have a history of heart problems in your family.

2. Set achievable, measurable, attainable, realistic goals.

3. Dress comfortable with material that allows good circulation of ai,r and choose fabrics that absorb perspiration. Choose clothing that won’t restrict your movement, and that has none or few zipper or buttons. Wear good athletic shoes that provide plenty of arch support. Dress for the climate. In cold climate areas it is a good idea to have warm up “sweats” to keep muscles warm and to keep warm after exercise session.

4. Choose and schedule times to work out that fit your daily routine. There really isn’t a time of day that is any better than another, but it helps to pick a time when you usually feel energetic. For instance, if you are not a “morning person”, it may be better to choose late morning, afternoons or evenings as your workout times.

5. Keep records of all the exercises you perform, along with weight, sets and repetitions. This helps you consistently repeat your program, eliminates missing exercises and can help when you want to progress your program.

6. Warm up for 5-10 minutes with a combination of light activity and stretches that target all the major muscles. If you are short on time, it is possible to leave out the initial stretches as long as you do 5-10 minutes of light active movements (slow walking, stationary bike, etc) but DO NOT leave out your stretch program in the cool down phase.

7. After your workout, finish with a cool down phase of 5-10 minutes, again with light active movement and stretches.

Check with your personal trainer for more detail regarding specific types of stretches and the activity for your warm up and cool down.

An important factor in beginning an exercise program is to start with small steps!  If you are currently not active at all and you decide your goal is to run a 5K race, that’s a big step!  Instead, your first goal should be to get moving!  Start by running around the block.  Then decide how many times a week you would be able to run around the block.  Once you are consistently running around the block numerous times a week then you can increase your distance.  A mistake most people make when first starting out with a goal or resolution is starting out too big.  By making smaller changes at first and then being consistent with those smaller changes you are much more likely to be successful!  Plan on your own success!!  Don’t put too much on yourself that you fail.
Have a plan; think about what you honestly will do, when you will do it, and how often you are likely to do it.  Take a day of the week…I like Sunday….and plan your week.  Write your plan into your calendar just like you would a doctor appointment.  Plan your food for the week.  Make sure you have good healthy food choices available.  Plan for your success!!  I do a lot of interior painting.  One thing I have learned about painting is the better you prep, the nicer the paint looks when you are done.  You have to carefully tape your borders, sand any rough spots on the wall, fill in nail holes, etc…  The better the prep or plan the better the end result!  You plan for many things in your life, you plan for your education, you plan for your vacation, you plan for your retirement, PLAN FOR YOUR HEALTH!  After all, you want to be able to use your education, enjoy your vacation and be active in your retirement.

Today you begin.

Do not wait for the right time, the next opportunity, or a better day – begin now. Put pen to paper and follow my lead.

Action is essential to weight loss, transformation, and feeling better about myself. So, I commit to these actions:
1.    I will exercise vigorously for at least 30 minutes.
2.    I will write down everything I eat.
3.    I will be physically active for 45 minutes everyday, whether it means that I must workout morning and evening, bring sneakers to work and walk at lunch, or whatever it takes.
4.    I will eat more slowly.
5.    I will drink more water.
6.    At the end of every week, I will look at the food that I am eating and have (honestly) written down to (fearlessly) assess whether I am taking care of my body or punishing it.
7.    I will then make decisions about my next meal, and the ones after that, to ensure that they really do healthfully and efficiently fuel my body.
The party (literally) is over. And that’s the good news because your life’s greatest celebration is in taking actions everyday that make you feel (and look) better!

Ok….I know….you’ve heard it, read it and said it, before!!  Getting started can be the most difficult part to any weight  loss or fitness goal.  The most difficult and the most  IMPORTANT.  I am here to help and I don’t care how many  times you have to START…..I will help you get there.  Once  you have started, I am here to help you keep going.  We  start where you are at right now and create small goals to  get you moving and planning your success.
Welcome to your journey!

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