Whether your goal is to lose weight, get healthy, get in better shape, or all of the above, there are three main components to a good exercise program.
2. Let’s Start
Whether your goal is to lose weight, get healthy, get in better shape, or
all of the above, there are three main components to a good exercise
program.
3. Cardio Exercise
This can be any activity that gets
your heart rate up, from walking
or jogging to cycling or taking a
fitness class. Regardless of the
exercise you plan to do for the
day, it is always recommended to
warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of
light cardio.
4. Weight Training
You don't have to lift heavy
weights or even spend a lot of
time on weight training at first,
but you do need to lift. Your
muscles will get stronger and
the more muscle you have, the
more calories you burn overall,
which helps with losing weight.
5. Flexibility Training
You also need to have the
flexibility to go through a full
range of motion of each exercise.
Stretching increases your
flexibility and helps your body
recover after exercise. While
some people like to set aside a
day to focus on flexibility, you
don't need a separate workout for
this. Stretching should be
included in every workout.
6. Where to Start
No one workout program is going to
fit everyone, but it may help to see
a sample workout schedule that
would include all the workouts you
need, from beginning exercisers to
more advanced exercisers.
These sample workouts give you a
place to start, but they're only
suggestions. First, determine your
fitness level so you know whether
to use beginner, intermediate or
advanced schedules.
7. Guidelines for Beginners
Ease into exercise with a simple cardio program and a total body
strength training routine. If that's too much, just start with cardio and
let that be enough.
You may need extra recovery days to allow your body to rest and heal.
It's normal to be sore when you try new activities, but if you can't move
the next day, that means you overdid it and may need to back off your
next workout.
A typical beginner program will include about two to three days of
cardio and two days of strength training. These workouts can also be
combined if you do not have five days to devote to exercise.