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Getting started is the hardest thing to do

SHANE RAY

For many people, decision to start exercising presents a special set of challenges. In their eagerness to get started, first-time exercisers frequently fall into a pattern of error, which can sabotage the project before it gets off the ground.

The most common mistake people make when starting to exercise is trying an exercise program that doesn’t suit them or was designed for someone else. People make a snap decision, and decide that they will, all of a sudden, start “doing it right,” and join a program at a health club, commited to working out four times a week, at least.

As some of you may know through experience, most people who take this approach fail, and what’s even worse, most people become disheartened because of their failure. What they don’t realize is that the problem is their approach.

When first deciding to exercise, the goal should be to increase your physical activity and not to punish yourself for being out of shape. Recognizing the benefits of actual physical activity, especially in comparison to complete inactivity, is key.

It is important to keep in mind that ways to become more physically active can come in many diverse forms, whatever your individual interests may be; learn to dance, take up a martial art, learn to swim, dig a garden, take up wall climbing, find a tennis partner. What’s important is to find something you enjoy, and that works for your lifestyle.

An increase in physical activity can derive tremendous benefits, regardless of what shape you are in. Research indicates that exercise can reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, for example, and can mitigate the effects of stress and depression.

Another hurdle that most people beginning an exercise program must overcome is an obsession with weight loss, wherein the success of an exercise program gets inherently tied to the number of pounds shed. What those obsessed with weight loss need to remember is that whether or not an exercise program leads to weight loss pales in comparison to the importance of an improvement in physical, metabolic and emotional fitness. When we learn to let go of “losing weight” as the main goal of fitness training it frees us to focus on the real benefits and achievable goals of exercising.

The third and fourth common mistakes are exercising too hard or exercising too easy. There are those who try to get started with an exercise program and fling themselves at it, only to get exhausted, injured, and realize few improvements in their health and fitness: they try to exercise too hard. Conversely, there are those who spend plenty of time exercising but don’t get their heart rate up enough to realize the benefits they are seeking.

When seeking out your own workout routine, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Find your starting point. Perform fitness tests to see where you stand. It will help you decide how strenuous of a workout you want to have.

2. Forget the fat. Reprogram your thinking to focus on fitness not fatness.

3. Find fitness goals. Learn about physical and emotional fitness and why these should be your goals. A rounded exercise program takes all goals into consideration and gives you training in all elements of fitness.

The main determinant of whether an exercise program is successful is how hard it is in relation to your current level of fitness. No program will get results unless you stick to it, which is why you have to find an activity you love. One of the main reasons for people not sticking to their exercise plans is lack of time, so don’t waste time with an exercise program that won’t work for you. Tailor your program to your fitness level and unique emotional, and physical characteristics, and you will be sure to achieve your goals.