Starting a Regular Exercise Regimen

At various times I've run, done aerobics, played racquetball, played tennis, participated in a co-ed softball team and mountain biked to stay in shape. During the good times I competed in 5 and 10ks and even medaled twice. During the bad times when I couldn't afford to do anything else or was in such poor shape that I didn't want to leave the house I marched in place, jogged in place in front of the TV and did laps around my own coffee table. Through good and bad I've managed to stay in pretty decent shape over a good number of years with relatively few injuries and only a small amount of down time and I'd like to share some things I've learned which I hope will be helpful, whether you've decided to get in shape for the first time or if you're getting back into shape after a long hiatus. I won't go into what constitutes a healthy diet; I won't discuss which exercise is better than the other; I refuse to pester you to see your doctor before starting an exercise regimen (even though you should) because I know virtually no one does. I want to assume you're a big boy or girl and have enough common sense to not overdo to the point of harming yourself. Now on to the stuff I do want to tell you about. Let's start:

You'll Probably Need to Go Aerobic. We all know what aerobic exercise is by now. It's a matter of getting your heart rate and breathing elevated for a reasonable amount of time - say, 20 minutes or so, 3-4 times a week or more. In order to get long lasting effects of aerobic exercise (lower body fat, good cardiovascular conditioning, overall better fitness) you have to do it fairly frequently and you're going to end up breaking a sweat. A reasonable amount of effort for a reasonable amount of time with reasonable frequency is what you're after. Putting yourself through an agonizing workout once a week isn't going to do it any more than brushing you teeth once a week's going to give you good dental hygiene. It just doesn't work that way so the first thing you can do is forget about an easy miracle-cure for being out of shape.

You Don't Need to Have Money to Get in Shape. It'd be lovely if we all had a gym membership or a lap pool or a track next door. Most of us don't. So what are you going to do? Walk or run around your block; it's free. Get yourself a decent pair of shoes at Target or Wal-Mart and go out and do it. If you're just starting out it's going to be a little while before you have to concern yourself with getting great workout shoes. Just be sure what you get is comfortable, provides adequate ankle support and arch support if you need it, and go. Throw on an old pair of sweats or shorts, something with room to move which won't chafe you, and go. If you're too embarrassed or too scared to go out by yourself try turning on your TV and marching in place for 10 or 15 minutes to start (it's a lot harder than you'd think!). If you need light hand weights and can't afford them, dig into your cupboard and find a couple of cans that weigh 16 ounces (one pound) each and lift them. If nothing else, use the power of your mind. This is what I mean:

Extend your arm and make a fist. Now bring your fist to your shoulder. Pretty easy, right? Now do the same thing, but imagine there's a weight in your hand. Keep imagining the weight as your fist travels to your shoulder. Keep imagining the weight as your straighten your arm back out. Feel the difference?

Too often we get brainwashed into thinking that it takes money and a gym membership to get into shape. I say that's hogwash. By all means, aim for a gym membership if that's your ideal situation and what would work best for you. But please don't let the lack of one cause you to put off getting into the shape you deserve. Use your own determination and a little imagination to help yourself along until that gym membership day arrives.

It Might Get Ugly. Unless you're already in pretty good shape or you have a few matching workout outfits or you're just cute to begin with, working out is rarely a pretty sight. If you're in your old baggy sweats and a stained T-shirt, marching in place in front of your TV and lifting canned foods for weights, it can get downright ugly and ridiculous looking. It doesn't matter. It's a workout, not a beauty contest. You're moving, right? So remember...

All Movement Counts. Walking, scrubbing the floor, washing the car, doing three walking laps around the block, marching in place in front of your TV, pretending to jump rope when you don't really have a jump rope - it all counts. I run primarily because I hate to walk. And being in good shape for running doesn't translate into being in good shape for walking, at least not for me. When I try to make walking my workout I end up hurting in places I didn't know I had. But that's me, not you. Find a movement (walking, running, cycling, etc.) that works for you; make it something small, get used to it and then you can build from there.

Move Your Trouble Spot. By now I'm sure you don't need any help in diagnosing what area of your body is your trouble spot. For me, it's my butt and my waist; I have too much of each. And though my overall fitness level is pretty good for a woman of forty-five, my trouble spots persist. And so I go through some pains to incorporate into my workout routine movements which specifically involve my trouble spots. And though an aerobic workout may rev my metabolism and provide me with overall leaner body mass it still won't help my trouble spots. When I weighed 140 pounds I had a poochy tummy and my buttocks seemed to start somewhere around the back of my knees. When I got in very good shape and weighted 115, I still had the poochy tummy and drooping buttocks; they were just smaller. It boils down to common sense. If I have flabby upper arms, all the lower body movement in the world isn't going to change the fact that I have flabby upper arms. And if I don't incorporate those flabby arms in their own regular exercise routine, lowering my body fat percentage is just going to mean my flabby arms will remain proportionate to the rest of my body and still won't be toned. If they're not in good proportion to begin with, it's going to be the same, only smaller.

So what to do? Simple. Find some easy exercise that moves your trouble spot. It can be as complex as tracking down an exercise online or finding an exercise show or exercise DVD to use. It can be as simple as marching in place. It doesn't matter and it doesn't even have to be aerobic. Just find some activity that moves your trouble spot and move it. Spot exercises, in other words. At the end of my aerobics workout I take two minutes to move my waist area. It can be in a hula-hoop movement or it can be alternately stretching my arms above my head, reaching to the sky with one hand and the other arm's elbow touching my hip. It's only two minutes about three times a week but it's waist movement I don't get otherwise. And that's moving my trouble spot and it's the only way my trouble spot gets better. It's pretty painless and my reward is the appearance of more waist definition and less love handle.

Of Course It Hurts! I've got some bad news. If you're in poor shape and you start a moderate exercise routine you're going to get sore and you're going to hurt. Exercise is no different than anything else in life. When you start out, you're a beginner and you're going to have to practice until you get it right and part of a beginner's growing pains are pain and soreness. And no matter how fit I am for a specific activity (like running), if I add a different activity (like aerobics), I can expect to be sore for a few days. It's time to get real with yourself. You already know all this, so to think you're going to go from flab to fit without any discomfort is naïve. Cut it out.

Shut Up and Do It/Crappy Workouts Happen. More bad news. Bad workouts happen to good people. There will come a day when you're at the fitness level you always dreamed of, when you're well-rested and backed up by great nutrition, great hydration and a positive outlook. You will look forward to your daily workout and dress out with enthusiasm and anticipation. And you'll step out the door right into the worst workout of your life. Your breathing will be bad, your stride will be off and every muscle will feel like it's been poured from concrete. It's just a fact of life that bad workouts happen. I don't know why. If there's no just cause for it (like lack of sleep or stress) don't worry about it. Do what you can, cut your workout short and move on. Tomorrow's another day.

Be Your Own Cheerleader. It's a sad, sad fact that you can do your workouts with dedication and fervor for a good month or two and chances are the folks around you won't notice a difference. Or worse, your exercise routine might cause you ridicule from those around you. I've been in the same situations and I know it's hard. Please do yourself the favor of realizing that it's okay to invest in yourself. Becoming fit, feeling better about yourself, and taking a whopping half hour to 45 minutes, three or four times a week to better YOU isn't going to cause the collapse of your company, your employer's company, your family nor the universe as we know it. Learn how to buck yourself up and be proud of the determination you're showing. Other folks will start to notice with time.

Realize When Enough's Enough. For Pete's sake, don't work out every day! Two or three days in a row is enough. The only way the body recuperates and gets stronger is through working out and then resting. Likewise, please don't charge through your workouts at top capacity; it's not whether you do today's exercising faster than you did it yesterday; it's whether you'll be doing it tomorrow and next week and next year. Endurance and longevity count and slow and steady will get you there much better and much happier than if you adopt a "take no prisoners' attitude. Remember this is you being good to you; not you punishing you!