Working out is, at its root, all about lifestyle changes. Whether you're trying to lose weight, rehabilitate after an injury or improve your general level of fitness, consistency is key. The best workout plan in the world won't do you any good if you don't follow it, so set yourself up for success by choosing activities that you like and arranging your schedule to make sure you've got time to work out. Those with injuries or conditions that affect their ability to exercise may need to adapt the exercises to fit their abilities, but rest assured that, no matter what, you can find a way to get it done.
Step 1
Consult your physician before beginning any exercise plan. He may clear you for exercise without any restrictions, or he may suggest restrictions to protect you from hurting yourself. These may include monitoring your heart rate and not exceeding a certain number of beats per minute, using only a limited amount of weight or not performing certain movements.
Step 2
Open your day planner or whatever device you use to plan your days. Block out at least an hour for moderate exercise five times a week, every week. Thirty minutes is the minimum recommended by the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine for healthy adults, but once you include warm-up, cool-down, travel and changing time, you'll probably need about an hour. Treating your workout time as an appointment with yourself will make it a regular habit quickly and will also keep you from "accidentally" scheduling anything else during your workout time.
Step 3
Choose a type of cardiovascular exercise that you enjoy. Some popular options include dancing, swimming and walking or running, which can be done inside or outside according to your preferences and if your local climate permits. You can also pick more than one option; you don't have to do the same type of cardio every day.
Step 4
Do the type or types of cardiovascular exercise you chose for at least 30 minutes, at least three times a week. Start slowly for the first 5 or 10 minutes to give your body a chance to warm up; just reduce your speed and range of motion a bit until your muscles are literally warmed up and more flexible. Once you're warm, work out hard enough that you can't hold a monologue out loud, but not so hard that you can't speak at all; you should be able to get one or two sentences out while you're still moving.
Step 5
Spend the last 5 minutes of your cardio workout time cooling down, just like a warm-up in reverse. You should gradually slow your level of activity down, giving your body a chance to adjust and adapt to a state of rest again.
Step 6
Use your other two workout "appointments" for more cardio training, if you like, or for strength training. If you use the time for strength training, give yourself a break between strength days; so if you do strength training on Monday, don't do your other day of strength training on Tuesday; save it until Wednesday or later in the week. This gives your body a chance to recover.
Tips and Warnings
- More advanced exercisers may want to focus on specific body parts, like legs and back or chest and arms, on each day of weight training. For beginners, however, it's usually best to start with doing a full-body workout for at least the first few months; once you're comfortable with the exercises and the form, and have a good idea of how much you can lift, you can start to think about splitting muscle groups between days.
- You could injure yourself by improper use of exercise equipment, weight machines or free weights. If you're not sure of proper form for an exercise or how to use an exercise machine, ask a fitness professional for help. If you don't know how much weight you should be using for a given exercise, start low and work your way up.
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