Starting Exercise!

Want to begin an exercise program?Congratulations!

Here’s where to begin...

Consult your Doctor

Before beginning an exercise program, it is important that you are medically clear to do so.  The stress placed on your body during exercise is greater than at rest, which is important for creating the positive aspects that will come from your exercise program. But these stresses can also trigger hidden conditions in certain individuals, so getting medical clearance from a doctor can give you peace of mind to commit yourself fully to your exercise program. Also, if you have been inactive for a while or have had some medical issues limiting your exercise in the past a visit to the doctor can help ensure your health and safety.

Set challenging, yet realistic goals

People begin exercise programs for different reasons. You have to decide why starting exercise is important for YOU. After you have done this, challenge yourself through your exercise program while being specific and realistic in your goal setting. Consider both the short term and the long term.  Where do you want to see yourself in a few weeks time, in a few months time and then a year and longer?  A diary may be useful, as these goals aren’t set in stone and will change as you progress in your program and remember, they are always good to revisit to keep you on track. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, improve fitness and look or feel good, tune in to what’s driving you and use it as a basis for the best exercise program for you! Utilising professional assistance may also be useful.

Consider various types of exercise

What makes you tick? Do you like running, walking or cycling in a gym or outdoors? Team sports, classes, social sports - there is a wide array of choices out there if you think outside the square. If you’re not sure, have a go and enjoy a variety of activities.

Look at your resources

 What do you have at your disposal? Consider financial and environmental limitations, do you have a gym nearby, exercise tracks, or equipment at home?  What can your friends and family provide? Consider exercise partners (whether of human or animal variety) or consider joining a local group. In terms of clothing;  light, comfortable, ‘breathing’ apparel is best. Appropriate shoes are crucial to prevent injury so make sure you purchase shoes with appropriate support, cushioning, and fit. It may be useful to hound your local shoe store for the best buy. Safety equipment may also be required, for example helmets for cycling.

Write up a realistic weekly plan

 Consider how many hours you are willing to utilise a week to achieve your goals, and then set these aside for exercise. A diary may be useful. Try to vary your activities - a well-balanced program encompasses cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and flexibility training. Goals to try and achieve:

· At least 30 minutes of aerobic activity preferably on most days of the week

· At least 3-5 times per week of a moderate intensity

Have a safe and enjoyable exercise session

 There are a few things to incorporate into every exercise session:

· Warm up is important to reduce the risk of injury and soreness and may improve performance.
Before a vigorous work out, have a low intensity warm up (3 to 5 minutes) appropriate to your chosen activity. Also have a warm-up stretch session, with a particular focus on the muscles likely to be targeted in the workout and hold your stretches to a point of muscle tension - but not of pain, e.g. 15 - 30 seconds.

· Push yourself during your exercise but LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Don’t exercise through pain, this increases damage and delays healing. Consult a professional to address issues that arise.

· Cool down to help your body recover - this can just be a reverse of your warm up session.

Address (don’t repress) your dietary needs

You may know that a good balanced diet is instrumental for your everyday best health and well-being. A good diet is also important to get the best out of your exercise program:

· Carbohydrates – especially complex carbohydrate sources such as breads, rice and pasta - are crucial as your body’s preferred fuel source for energy. Faster acting varieties such as sports drinks will only be required in very intense exercise sessions of longer durations.

· Protein is also important, especially for your body to build muscle. From the non-elite athlete to the recreational exerciser, a balanced diet including a mix of meat, eggs, dairy and soy foods, nuts and legumes will be more than adequate to meet protein requirements.

· Don’t forget water! This is the single most important drink for exercising. Make sure that plenty of water is consumed leading up to, during and after exercise so that you can get the most out of your session and prevent dehydration.

Keep up the good work and learn from mistakes

Would you prefer to be your own best friend or worst enemy? If it is the first of these, focus on the positive aspects of your changes, congratulate yourself and give yourself tangible rewards. Help yourself by making sure you have an enjoyable, flexible and realistic exercise program that is full of variety and suits you. If you stumble (we all do), do not dwell in your failings but address why the incident occurred, so that it is not as likely to happen again. This may occur multiple times so also don’t forget to recruit other friends and family to help you along the way. Remember, once your new exercise program has become an essential part of your lifestyle, you will reap the rewards and perhaps wonder how you ever survived without it!

References

Find your 30 minutes of Exercise Each Day website

www.your30.qld.gov.au/

National Heart Foundation of Australia website

www.heartfoundation.com.au

For more information

Wesley Corporate Health

Level 2 / 46 Edward Street

Brisbane  Qld  4000

Phone:  07 3234 2600

Email: info@weshealth.com.au

Disclaimer

This Fact Sheet is provided for your information only and does not replace qualified medical advice. The information provided may not apply to every person or all situations. A medical practitioner should be consulted for all treatment and medication.