Where Do I Start?

As a chiropractor, teacher and trainer, I have been asked many times over the years, “What type of workout should I do?”.  The first, and usually the most obvious response is “What do you want to accomplish?”.

 You see, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of books/articles written on everything from weightlifting to running barefoot.  Constantly we are bombarded on TV with infomercials for the “newest and hottest” workout guaranteed to make you lose 50 pounds and 10 dress sizes by the end of the week! Magazine after magazine lines the shelf with every celebrity’s “secret routine” that got them ready for the red carpet, and the list goes on.  It’s easy to see why anyone would be confused.

 So, back to my original response, “What do you want to accomplish?”.  For most people, the workout they are looking for is one to lose weight and/or maintain health.  Again, this is not a simple response as some people will be more inclined to one type of activity as opposed to another, but I will offer some general advice here.

 An ideal beginner workout needs to include a few basics: resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and some stretching exercises. Each and every one is vital to have a healthy, well rounded body.  Although there are numerous reasons to do each one of these, we won’t get into that until another article, as each needs to be addressed individually.  Suffice it to say though, that people will be drawn typically more to one category or another and this is where the trap can come in to play.  Many times, people get into a rut and overdo one form of exercise, leading them to eventually get bored and burn out.  Once this happens, they tend to lose any interest in exercise for a while, sometimes permanently and as a result their health suffers.  What a shame!  You have to understand that there are numerous ways to make exercise fun and enjoyable.

 So here are a few tips to get you started:

 1. Begin with something you enjoy.  Don’t try to talk yourself into a full, all out assault on any type of exercise you don’t like.  It gets too easy to find all the excuses of why you just can’t stick with it.

 2. Start off slow.  If you always enjoyed running for instance, but haven’t run further than the refrigerator in 10 years, don’t expect to do a half marathon  in a week.  Frustration will set in and down you go into the exercise and fitness graveyard.

 3. Buddy Up.  Everything is easier when someone else is there with you, and exercise is no different.  Find a workout buddy that will hold you to the fire, and expects you to do the same for them.  Invariably, there will be days when one of you will just not feel like going to work out.  The other must then step up as a source of motivation and inspiration.

 I could go on with this list for some time, but continue to check out our website, mark us as a favorite, find us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter so that you can check back with us regularly.  We will be continuously getting great ideas out to help you increase your quality and quantity of life!