The Top 10 Tips If You Are Starting An Exercise Program
Sun Apr 12 2009Top 10 Tips If You Are Starting An Exercise Program
By Paul Stokes, owner and founder Artius Health Care
The first time I worked out with a personal trainer, I hadn't exercised in weeks. I was so pumped to "get back into it," I ended up pushing myself extra hard. And though I'm no stranger to exercise, that workout left me so sore that I didn't hit the gym again for 10 days.A client of mine, Carrie, had never exercised before, and recently decided that she wanted to “lose fat fast”.So she threw herself into a running routine that included hill sprints, long distance runs, and weights.As you can probably guess, Carrie’s body couldn’t keep up, and she developed a thigh muscle strain and shin splints that required 4- 6 weeks to rehabilitate.
Unfortunately most beginners (or, in my case, people who are out of practice) exercise too much, too often, and too hard. So in this article I reveal the top 10 ways to make your workouts safe and effective. The good news is, that you don’t have to make these mistakes.If you follow these 10 tips you will be starting or re-starting your exercise program injury free, and getting maximum results.
Top 10 Rules for Safe Workouts
1. It is important to train conservatively and not overdo things. If you are doing resistance training (and everyone should), don't do any exercise that you aren't sure how to do. Always get personal instruction from a certified trainer.
2. Don't do anything that hurts or "doesn't feel right." There are plenty of alternate exercises for any exercise in any workout program. Just ask a qualified trainer for help.
3. Whenever you start a new resistance-training program, use lighter weights than normal (about 50% - 60% of your maximum) and perform only one set per exercise for at least the first week.You could increase this to two sets in the second or third week and then three sets in the third or fourth week. This will minimize the muscle soreness that you can expect with any new program.
4. If you need extra recovery time within the workout or between workouts, don't hesitate to take it. Most beginners only think about how they can do more and more exercise to help them lose weight faster. But everyone (from beginners to pro athletes) needs some days of light exercise to allow the muscles to repair. And don't worry. If you do the right type of exercise, you'll still lose fat even when you are not working out at the gym.
5. Check your ego at the gym door and start with the easier alternate exercises, even if you have exercised in the past. New movements - even those that "look easy" - will cause muscle soreness. This goes for pilates, yoga and stretching too. Many beginners overstretch and end up with the same kind of injuries often associated with weight training. So no matter what you do, be conservative.
6. Do not do interval training or hard cardio more than four times per week. Even pro athletes don't play hard every day. Doing too much cardio too sson is the biggest reason beginners end up hurt, frustrated, and in the doctor's office. Research shows that all you need to lose belly fat is three interval-training workouts per week. When you do cardio, you're doing the same movement thousands and thousands of times in the same workout. If you have even the smallest injury, it will be magnified by this repetition.
7. Never skip a warm-up, even when you are in a hurry.Ideally do a general bodyweight circuit of easy squats and easy push-ups to prepare your body for resistance training.Or at least do a warm up set before each exercise to lubricate your joints and prepare your muscles for the exercise.
8. If you decide to use running as your form of interval training, make sure you have good running shoes, always do an extra-thorough warm-up, and choose a safe running surface (grass or trails rather than pavement/concrete). If you use a treadmill, please operate it safely.
9. If you have any type of injury at all, get it checked out by a professional therapist to rehabilitate the injury before you start an exercise program. You are better off committing three weeks to rehab now, before the injury becomes serious, than to neglect your body and be forced to stop exercising for three months (or more).
10. All together now: "Safety first!" Check with your doctor or health professional before starting any new exercise or diet program. There is no need to get hurt, no matter how serious you are about losing weight fast.
Don't Let Your Workouts Be the Reason You Can't Work Out
Those are the top 10 safety tips to keep in mind before you start your new fat-burning workout. Don't make the classic beginner mistake of doing too much exercise too soon. The great news is that, as a beginner, your diet will have a much greater impact on your weight loss results - so there's no reason to over-exercise. Your program should include resistance training and interval training to help you burn fat, but you only need to exercise three times per week with total-body workouts.
Take your body seriously! Train safe!
About the Author: Paul Stokes is a physiotherapist and exercise physiologist with over 20 years experience in the industry.Paul is the owner and founder of Artius Health Care.Artius Health Care brings together a team of health professionals with one common goal to help you improve your health and maximize your potential.If you would like a safe and effective exercise program designed for you to help you achieve any of your health and fitness goals contact Artius Health Care for your FREE initial consultation on 5580 4900 or download one of our FREE Special Health Reports from www.artius.com.au/free-report. .
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