Getting back into exercise?
Your step-by-step guide
If you want to return to exercising regularly, the best way is to create an exercise plan. (Remember to consult your physician before starting an exercise routine if you haven’t exercised in some time.) Here’s how.
Step 1: Assess your starting point
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Record your weight and key measurements such as waist circumference and body mass index.
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Note how well you perform standard fitness activities. These might include: how many situps you can do in a minute; how many pushups you can do; how long it takes to walk a kilometer, and your resting heart rate before and immediately after; how far forward you can reach your arms when you sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
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Record your results in a notebook, on your computer or somewhere you can check later. This is your baseline fitness level.
Step 2: Choose your activities
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Think about what activities you really enjoy doing — you’ll be more likely to stick with them.
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Try to choose two or three different activities to provide variety.
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Try to vary the types of activities you do, so you get a combination of aerobic, strength and flexibility exercises.
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Make sure you have appropriate equipment and apparel for each activity.
Step 3: Schedule your exercise time
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Choose a frequency and duration. Start slowly — for example, a 10-minute walk three times a week might be a good starting point if you haven’t exercised in many years. Later, bump that up to 15 minutes, and so on.
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Make a date to exercise and write it in a book.
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Make exercise time a "non-negotiable" that can’t be cancelled.
Step 4: Monitor your progress
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In the early months, focus on how rested you feel, how your posture has improved, how much energy you have, how your mood has improved. External results such as muscle tone, weight loss or size reduction may take six to eight weeks or longer to become noticeable.
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In two or three months, reassess your fitness and compare it with your baseline results.
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Adjust your routine as necessary to increase frequency, intensity and duration. This will ensure that you continue to increase your fitness level as your physical fitness improves.
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Congratulate yourself on being more active than when you started, and give yourself a small reward.