How to Start a New Exercise Program
By Sara Butler
Physical activity is important for your health and wellness. It helps to keep the impact of aging at bay and enhances your ability to play and work. Here are a few ideas you can use to help you begin a new exercise program for your health!
The Benefits
There are many benefits to exercise, including:
- Lower blood pressure
- Weight control
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Lower risk of developing diabetes
- Increased muscle mass
- Increased bone density
- Increased flexibility
- Boosts mood
- Improves sleep
- Makes you feel better about yourself
Moderate regular exercise has so many advantages, it’s a no-brainer!
How to Develop an Exercise Program
Before you start a new exercise program, you should discuss it with your chiropractor. You need to make sure you don’t have any medical conditions that could pose health risks to you when beginning something new. If you do, then a plan can be made to work around it and find an activity that is best for you.
Exercise programs are different for everyone. You need to decide how often you want to do it, how hard, and for how long you want to exercise. You can exercise on your own, or you can hire a personal trainer at your gym to show you some moves. Group exercise classes are recommended too since it helps you to stick with a program once you’ve started.
You just need to make sure you’re exercising aerobically, meaning that you get your heart rate up. You can:
- Walk
- Cycle
- Ski
- Dance
- Jog
- Swim
The most important thing you need to remember is to utilize your large muscle groups in uninterrupted and rhythmic motion.
The Parts of an Exercise Program
There are four important parts to any exercise program. They are:
- Warming up – You cannot skip warming your body up for at least five minutes before you increase your intensity. The goal is to increase blood flow to your muscles, stretch them lightly, and prepare your mind and body for what’s ahead.
- Stretching – Stretching helps to increase your muscle flexibility and length. This will reduce your injury risk as you exercise.
- Aerobic exercise – To become fit, you need to perform 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week. If you can’t do 20 to 30 minutes at first, just work up to it. Just keep that heartrate up!
- Cool down – You need to take time after the aerobic portion of your workout to allow your body to adapt to a resting level. Just take down a notch what you’re doing and let your heart slow down slowly.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.
