A good workout plan is the spine of your fitness program. It can be infinitely adjusted to suit your changing goals and abilities. The best programs observe tested criteria but factor in personal preferences and variety to prevent burnout and boredom. Expect results and build in some fun so your motivation stays high.
Determining How Much Is Enough
The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say adults should get 30 minutes or more of daily physical activity. Healthy weight, longer life and mobility, better quality of life and prevention of chronic disease are worthy workout goals. Begin slowly if you have been a couch potato for a while. And get a checkup before beginning a new workout plan if it is very challenging or if you are older than 35. Remember, if you work out for just 30 minutes each day, you still have 1,410 minutes left for other activities. And you will be increasing the number of days you can enjoy them.
Creating a Plan for Success
Fail-proof your workout plan so it --- and you --- will succeed. The American Heart Association suggests that you determine whether you do better exercising solo or in a group. Pick your best time of day, and a time when you won't be interrupted. Decide whether you want to work inside or outdoors and what types of exercises match your interest and fitness goals. Get a coach or join a club or gym. Use a video at home between sessions. Make a foul-weather or holiday plan so you don't miss a workout. Begin on a weekend when you're less rushed. Keep a workout journal to track progress.
Components of a Workout Plan
There are four basic components to a workout plan, according to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Evaluate your plan to be sure it hits every mark. A thorough workout plan should increase cardio-respiratory endurance --- that means aerobics --- and you get this from sustained, intense activities like running, treadmill and swimming. Build muscle strength with weightlifting and muscular endurance with repeated contractions and resistance. Push-ups are a good example. Increase flexibility with stretches so your joints and muscles move freely.
Workout Flow
Adjust the flow of exercise over a week to your fitness level and goals. Here's what the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports says a well-designed plan should have for minimal fitness. Five to 10 minutes of warm-up; two 20-minute muscle strength-building sessions weekly that hit all the major muscle groups; three 30-minute sessions of calisthenics, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and weight training weekly for muscular endurance; three 20-minute nonstop aerobics sessions each week; and 10 to 12 minutes of daily slow stretching that can be part of your cool-down.
Benefits to Expect
The Mayo Clinic lists seven benefits you should expect from a good workout program: improved mood and emotional depression-proofing; prevention or easing of symptoms of chronic disease; healthier weight; more energy; better sleep; improved sex life; and greater willingness to try --- and enjoy --- new activities. The simple conclusion is that when you work out regularly to improve fitness, the improvements impact every area of your life.
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