If approached the wrong way, exercise can be a minefield of injury and ill health. Take the following tips and advice on board;
- Go steady. It is tempting to try and hit the road running, if you pardon the pun, however, you need to give your body time to adjust to the increased workload. This is particularly true if you don’t currently undertake regular exercise. Start off so you are only mildly out of breath and gradually build up your exercise regime.
- It’s a marathon not a sprint. Be patient. Just because you are now exercising, doesn’t mean that you will dramatically improve the condition of your body overnight. It is true that you will feel the maximum benefits after the first 3-4 weeks, and then as your body adjusts the improvement seems to taper off, but don’t lose motivation, you are still getting in better shape than you ever were.
- Warm up effectively. This is essential. If you jump straight into vigorous exercise, you will cause yourself an injury. Look up some simple stretches and do them before you start. Also learn a good cool-down routine. When you warm up you are warning your body to get ready for the strain ahead. Similarly, when you cool-down, you are telling you’re body that the work out is over, and it can start to recover.
- Learn to rest. Rest is an important part of exercise. When we rest, our body works to repair itself. For this reason the rest period is vitally important. Also, when you start your workout, if you find yourself struggling more than you normally would, then stop and do some stretches. Take it easy, and have a rest day. Don’t push your body too much, or you will risk injury.
- Check technique. Ensure that your technique is right for the exercise you choose to do. Do not put undue stresses and strains on your body.
- If you are ill or injured, take time to recover. Never attempt to exercise when you are ill or injured. You will only slow down the healing process and lengthen the recovery period, which will lead to frustration.
- If resuming training after a while, take you’re time to build up. Stamina is easy to lose but hard to get back. You normally need 4-6 weeks to get back fitness you have lost due to inactivity, so be prepared for this.
- Make exercise a part of your routine. Try to build exercise into your lifestyle. That way you will be more inclined to keep it up. The more your exercise regime fits in the less trouble or hassle it is to get fit, and you will carry it on.
- Set yourself realistic goals. Try to set yourself small achievable goals that are easy to measure. That way you will remain motivated to carry on. A good way is to be specific rather than vague. For example, say “I will fit into a pair of jeans one waist size smaller within 2 months” rather than “I will lose weight”. You can see how the latter is very vague and gives you no time frame or measurement.
- Maintain a healthy diet. The Diet section of this website will give you more pointers on this aspect.
- Drink plenty of water. Good hydration is key to effective exercise. Without an adequate amount of water in your body, you will risk injury and illness.
- Make exercise fun. Remember this isn’t supposed to be a painful experience. If you appreciate that the process is gradual, then you will relax more and have fun. Try to vary your activities to keep the body guessing and keep you interested and motivated.
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