How to start a workout program?

A step-by-step approach to getting started

By Lisa Kramer  

In the first part of this article, I discussed how creative we can be when it comes to coming up with excuses for NOT working out.  But as I said before, you are fooling no one but you.  In this part, let me give you simple tips on how you can put your own workout regime together.  There are many books about this topic and numerous websites and magazines. Fitness is a big industry. The following is one way to do it. We do not have the space to tell you the exercises - just the general plan: Start knowing your current level. How do you do this?   If you have any medical condition such as high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart problems, etc., you need to check with your doctor first. Having a medical condition does not necessarily mean that you cannot workout; what it means is that you may need to listen to specific signals in your body to avoid problems. Your doctor is the best person to tell you how to proceed forward.  The safe way. If you do not have any medical conditions or your doctor has advised you to go ahead, you just start to workout and listen to your body.  Remember that you want to avoid injury. Injuries are common reasons why people quit exercise programs. If someone gets injured, usually she or he has to stop working out for a while and after that he or she become somehow afraid of the workout and quits permanently.  For this reason it is best to workout in the beginning with a structured program. You can use the program from a book, a video or work with a personal trainer (either virtual or in person). A personal trainer, even for a few lessons, is a valuable investment. You will learn specific exercises for your body type and personal goals, you will learn the proper postures and warm-up time, and this way you will protect yourself from injuries. Goals. You need to know if your general goal to workout is it to firm up, lose weight, develop muscle, improve overall health, or all of them. Usually it is a combination of all of those goals. Most people want to lose some weight. To achieve this, you need aerobic or cardio exercise. You will also need strength training to develop muscle and a few minutes of flexibility exercises.   To have or not to have specific goals depends on you. Do you want to measure your progress on a specific dress size, or rather a certain weight, or to be able to run a specific distance? Your goal is personal and flexible. You can always adjust it along the way. (How to achieve your weight loss goals)  Your goal can also be a bit more subjective, such as have more energy, and of course, it can be a combination of many of these parameters.  Know yourself. This is very important. We all have strengths and weaknesses. You are the only one who knows what your own strengths and weaknesses are. For most people, the most difficult part of working out is to follow through. Develop a program to be accountable to either you, to others, and have specific goals or a rewarding system.  Accountability. This is the traditional way to measure your progress – a report card, just as the grades in school. You decide on your goals, the time you will devote to workout, the type of workout, and you jot it down every time. You have a specific weight, dress size or other measurable way and you check every one or two weeks to assess your progress.   You track your progress in a notebook or computer. Several dieting websites also allow you to track your progress online using simple trackers. You can record things like the number of minutes your workout lasted and how many calories you consumed/burned. This is very powerful, because at the end of the week you can see with your own eyes if you have kept your word.  Specific goals. Be a size 6 in one year (or whatever time period makes sense for your body). So after three months, you can measure yourself and see if you have reached your three-month goal or if you need to change strategy. This is also very powerful, because when you see your accomplishments you get a strong sense of motivation and empowerment. Plus, your self-esteem raises. Reward system. After reaching a goal you can reward yourself. For instance, go shopping, eat a wonderful dessert, travel, etc. You can have small rewards for short- and medium-term achievements and a big reward when you reach your absolute best level.  Follow through. Even Oprah Winfrey, after reaching her healthy weight now, she sees exercise as something necessary in her life, not necessarily a true pleasure. There will be times that you do not want to continue, there will be tough times but exercise is the closest thing we have to the fountain of youth. It is worthy to workout either for health or vanity reasons. Celebrate your success. The reason you are working out is because you love your body. Embrace your own body shape, love it and make it the best it can be. Do not be critical of yourself. Life is about diversity. You do not have to look like Beyoncè or Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Aniston. Self-respect and self-embrace are the most important aspects to love the body you are in.