Get Fit! Exercise for Beginners

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Life is full of good reasons to begin an exercise program. Perhaps you want to fit into that bikini, look your best for an approaching wedding or school reunion, or maybe a sudden health scare makes shaping up a top priority.

Whatever the motivation, exercise is a great investment in both short-term and long-term health. Working out can help you achieve and maintain a healthier weight, increase muscle tone, improve flexibility, reduce stress and generally make you feel better about yourself, regardless of age.

Regular exercise substantially lowers your risk of illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Even those who are taking medications to control such conditions can benefit from exercise as well. Exercise also contributes to emotional health by helping you feel more energetic, less stressed and less depressed.

Before you start to exercise, there are several steps you should take to get the most from your routine.

Before you start

Though exercise offers numerous health benefits, it also may pose potential dangers if you have certain medical conditions. For this reason, it is important to consider your state of health before beginning to exercise.

Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program. This is especially important if you have, or think you might have, any health conditions that might prevent you from exercising safely.

Once your doctor has okayed a general plan, you'll need to settle on the specific activities that will make up your routine. Whatever exercise plan you create, it should include the following elements:

• Cardiovascular. This is the type of exercise that gets you breathing deeply and forces your heart to work harder to pump blood. Regular cardiovascular exercise such as running, swimming, dancing, hiking or high-intensity sports improves the performance of the heart and the lungs. As a result, it's easier for your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove wastes for sustained periods of time. Cardiovascular exercise also helps to improve conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol and helps prevent conditions including type 2 diabetes.
  
  
• Strength training. This form of exercise involves working out with weights, exercise bands and other devices that challenge your muscles and improve their strength and their endurance. As you become stronger, you'll find that you are able to lift heavy objects with less effort and for longer periods of time. As you build muscle, you'll also burn calories more efficiently, which will lead to a reduction in body fat.

It is crucial to stretch before and after exercise. Regular stretching improves the flexibility of muscles and mobility of joints, allowing people to experience a full range of motion and reducing the risk of injury during exercise.

Choose what you like

To get the maximum benefit from exercise, it is important to work out consistently each week. Experts typically urge people to get at least 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity on most days of the week.

At a minimum, you should engage in regular exercise at least three times a week. However, any level of exercise is better than none so long as it is performed safely and regularly.

In deciding on an exercise routine, choose activities that you are more likely to enjoy. For example, if you can't stand running but love tennis, pick up a racquet and head to the court even if the cardiovascular benefit would be greater with jogging. You are much more likely to stick with an exercise plan if you enjoy the activity you choose.

Try to incorporate several types of exercise into your routine. This helps keep your routine fresh and prevents the boredom that can sabotage an exercise plan. Cardiovascular exercises might include the treadmill three days a week and playing tennis twice a week. As part of your strength-training regimen, you might lift free weights for a few months, then switch to using weight machines at your gym for a few months.

When you begin your exercise program, start slowly. This helps your body adjust to the new demands being placed upon it and reduces your risk of injury. Over time, gradually increase the intensity of your workouts. You also may benefit from hiring a personal trainer who can help you plan a safe, individualized exercise program. Your trainer can help you track your progress and show you where you are improving and where you need more work. Joining a gym can help to keep you motivated and may offer access to professional trainers to develop a safe exercise program and track your progress.

Staying motivated

Deciding to exercise is the easy part. Following through with it is tougher. How many of us make a New Year’s resolution to work out, only to find ourselves a few weeks later having excuses to avoid the gym or our daily jog?

Finding effective ways to stay motivated is important for the success of any exercise plan. Schedule your workouts ahead of time so that they become a priority in your daily life, and don’t interfere with other tasks. If you find it difficult to find a solid 30 minutes of free time in your day, divide your workout into two separate 15-minute sessions – one to begin your day and one to end it. Or, use half of your lunch hour to work out.

Schedule your workout for a time of the day when you're more likely to feel motivated to exercise. Some research indicates that people who work out in the mornings may be more likely to stick with their exercise routine. Other research suggests that you take your temperature at different times of day. Usually people feel best when they exercise at whatever time of day their body temperature is the highest. For some of us it's in the morning and for some it's in the afternoon. Choose the time that is right for you. In general it is best not to exercise within several hours before bedtime to avoid interfering with falling asleep.

Continue to set new goals that are realistic and attainable as you progress in your exercise plan. This will keep you safe from injury and decrease the odds that you will quit exercising out of frustration.

Finally, people who struggle to motivate themselves to exercise may respond to the encouragement of a workout buddy or personal trainer. Teaming up with someone else who shares your fitness goals may be just what you need to get off the couch and "just do it."

More: Get helpful advice from the message boards -- try Ask the Nutritionist, Fitness and Health, The Latest Diets and Workouts and many others.