EVERYBODY HAS TIME TO WORK OUT
- Tips for Starting and Maintaining an Exercise Program -
We’re all busy. But the truth is, everybody has time to workout – there really are no excuses for not getting and staying healthy, so get up and get moving!
Health is an indispensable asset that can last a lifetime. To promote and maintain health, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that all adults ages 18-65 need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on 5 days each week, or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on 3 days each week. The ACSM goes on to say that adults will benefit from performing activities that will maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of 2 days each week. Obviously greater amounts of physical activity have greater health benefits. And we all can and should, at the minimum, fit exercise into our schedules.
Here are some tips on getting started and/or maintaining an exercise program:
Put it on your calendar – you put doctor’s appointments on your calendar, right? If something else comes up, you don’t cancel them, do you? So put exercise on your calendar! When someone calls and asks you to do something during that time, your answer will be, “Sorry, I have something else scheduled then, can we do it another time?”
Do it with a friend – So now you’re putting exercise on your calendar. Commit to doing it at that time with a friend, and it will make it even harder to cancel. You don’t want to let your friend down, do you?
Write it down! – Now you’ve got it scheduled so you’re committed to doing it, that’s great! Start small – If you haven’t worked out in a long time, the worst thing you can do is schedule exercise sessions 5 times the first week and overload yourself. You will quit. Start out by scheduling 2 or 3 30-45 minute workouts in a week. Write down what you do – keep an exercise log. Look over that log at the end of each week and commit to doing more the following week. That competitive spirit will kick in when you start to see all the benefits exercise will bring!
Set a goal – Your goal could be to complete a charity walk or run a 5k race. Find one in your area and work towards reaching that goal. Write your goal down and tell at least 2 friends what you are going to do. Keep them up to date on your progress. Once you achieve that goal, and you will, the sense of accomplishment will help you stick to working out, and then reach for something even higher like a triathlon or a bike tour!
Do it with your kids – Many people use their kids as an excuse for not exercising – instead, exercise with them! Go on a bike ride together. Join a mommy & me yoga class. Volunteer to assist in coaching your son’s soccer team. If you need to take your kids somewhere, walk!
Use the great outdoors – There’s no need to spend a lot of money on gym memberships or exercise equipment. Use the great outdoors to exercise! You can walk, jog and/or ride a bike! In warmer weather, you can swim in a lake or ocean. Many parks offer trails that have places to stop and do some form of strength training along the way, like push-ups or sit-ups. Circuit training, where you alternate short bursts of high-intensity cardio activity with strength training, actually burns 9% more calories than sustaining an elevated heart-rate over a longer period of time. And of course, there's always BootCampWF!!!
There really are no excuses; it’s time to commit to getting healthy. We are all going to age, but we don’t need to get old. Start small, gradually build your exercise program, and soon you will be feeling and looking better, and able to keep up with that busy schedule of yours!
--Kathy Robb
Kathleen Holmes Robb is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and a Certified Massage Therapist. An Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA) CPT since 1997, Kathy currently does In-Home Personal Training, runs BootCampWF, Westfield’s premiere, healthy-living outdoor fitness training program (www.BootCampWF.com), and is a Trainer at the Westfield Area Y. She also does In-Home Massages and offers Chair Massage for offices and special events. You can contact her at kholmesrobb@yahoo.com.
Health is an indispensable asset that can last a lifetime. To promote and maintain health, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that all adults ages 18-65 need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on 5 days each week, or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on 3 days each week. The ACSM goes on to say that adults will benefit from performing activities that will maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of 2 days each week. Obviously greater amounts of physical activity have greater health benefits. And we all can and should, at the minimum, fit exercise into our schedules.
Here are some tips on getting started and/or maintaining an exercise program:
Put it on your calendar – you put doctor’s appointments on your calendar, right? If something else comes up, you don’t cancel them, do you? So put exercise on your calendar! When someone calls and asks you to do something during that time, your answer will be, “Sorry, I have something else scheduled then, can we do it another time?”
Do it with a friend – So now you’re putting exercise on your calendar. Commit to doing it at that time with a friend, and it will make it even harder to cancel. You don’t want to let your friend down, do you?
Write it down! – Now you’ve got it scheduled so you’re committed to doing it, that’s great! Start small – If you haven’t worked out in a long time, the worst thing you can do is schedule exercise sessions 5 times the first week and overload yourself. You will quit. Start out by scheduling 2 or 3 30-45 minute workouts in a week. Write down what you do – keep an exercise log. Look over that log at the end of each week and commit to doing more the following week. That competitive spirit will kick in when you start to see all the benefits exercise will bring!
Set a goal – Your goal could be to complete a charity walk or run a 5k race. Find one in your area and work towards reaching that goal. Write your goal down and tell at least 2 friends what you are going to do. Keep them up to date on your progress. Once you achieve that goal, and you will, the sense of accomplishment will help you stick to working out, and then reach for something even higher like a triathlon or a bike tour!
Do it with your kids – Many people use their kids as an excuse for not exercising – instead, exercise with them! Go on a bike ride together. Join a mommy & me yoga class. Volunteer to assist in coaching your son’s soccer team. If you need to take your kids somewhere, walk!
Use the great outdoors – There’s no need to spend a lot of money on gym memberships or exercise equipment. Use the great outdoors to exercise! You can walk, jog and/or ride a bike! In warmer weather, you can swim in a lake or ocean. Many parks offer trails that have places to stop and do some form of strength training along the way, like push-ups or sit-ups. Circuit training, where you alternate short bursts of high-intensity cardio activity with strength training, actually burns 9% more calories than sustaining an elevated heart-rate over a longer period of time. And of course, there's always BootCampWF!!!
There really are no excuses; it’s time to commit to getting healthy. We are all going to age, but we don’t need to get old. Start small, gradually build your exercise program, and soon you will be feeling and looking better, and able to keep up with that busy schedule of yours!
--Kathy Robb
Kathleen Holmes Robb is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and a Certified Massage Therapist. An Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA) CPT since 1997, Kathy currently does In-Home Personal Training, runs BootCampWF, Westfield’s premiere, healthy-living outdoor fitness training program (www.BootCampWF.com), and is a Trainer at the Westfield Area Y. She also does In-Home Massages and offers Chair Massage for offices and special events. You can contact her at kholmesrobb@yahoo.com.
