“Experts can guide you, but you have to find out what really works for you”
Putting it all Together
Health care providers are very much in touch with current findings on exercise and nutrition. This is always a great beginning, especially if you have known medical conditions, or have not had a physical exam in a while. They will make recommendations specific to your situation, make sure to discuss musculoskeletal and nutritional concerns.
Do not feel like you have to do everything all at once. It can be tough starting a new exercise program, a new way of eating, and letting go of bad habits. It takes time to reinforce good habits. A good place to start is with 10 min. of walking, slowly increase the time to twenty min. Then add some strength training, and stretching. Your body will naturally start to crave better quality foods, making it easier to incorporate good nutritional habits.
The Guidelines
When constructing your program please seriously consider the guidelines provided by: American College of Sports Medicine, Dept. of Health and Human Services, and the CDC. The guidelines will allow you to create safe, sensible and productive exercise programs that you can stick with for life. Once you have developed a platform of fitness (usually takes 3-12 months) , you will be in better condition. At that point you can decide to take fitness classes or, a more sport specific endeavor. Your body will be better conditioned to endure the rigors (unusual loads, and stresses) imposed by these activities. You will never find a good athlete jumping into his or her sport, full on, without 3-4 months of preconditioning.
The Platform Of Fitness
What I call a platform of fitness are milestones that need to be established in order to develop a lifetime of fitness:
You have been on the job (fitness) for at least three months (for some it may take longer). During that time you have performed a minimum of three sessions per week. Working towards five sessions on a weekly basis. The sessions are twenty- sixty minutes in duration.
The main point is to have created the exercise habit. You know the habit has clicked in when you start craving it (exercise), and you cannot get by without it -- the good addiction!
Your endurance (aerobic) capacity is increasing.
You are seeing incremental strength as well as flexibility gains.
You are making nice inroads in getting your nutritional house in order.
You are seeing body fat reduction at the rate of ½- 1 lb. per week.