Have you decided to lose weight or get in shape and you’re not sure where to begin? Beginning a fitness program is not an easy task. There are so many different forms of exercise and you see so many diet programs and infomercials on TV, it makes it difficult to know where to begin. They make it look so easy on TV then you get the program do it once and never look at it again. I can’t tell you how many programs I have collecting dust. You want something safe and fun that doesn’t really feel like exercise right? That’s how I felt when I got started. I’ve lost 21 pounds so far, and I continue to lose. I’ve combined a few different exercises to help get started and hopefully they will help you.
Getting started
The first thing you can do is walk. Walking is the easiest on your body and if you can’t find a full 30 minutes, you can break it down into 2- 15 minute sessions. You don’t need to join a gym and you can do it at your own pace. If you need additional motivation if you have a dog or children you can walk with your children or walk your dog and your kids and dog will also benefit from it! It’s a great way to get your kids involved in a fitness routine as well. You can walk trails or at a park. Just 30 min 3 times a week and you can make a significant change in your body.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous you can also try jogging. Jogging is a wonderful way to get in shape and it’s a little tougher than walking, but the feeling of completing a jog even if it’s for a few minutes will make you feel great. I started by using the Couch to 5k running plan www.coolrunning.com and in 9 weeks, you can be jogging/running a 5k (3.1 miles). I completed my first 5k in April 2011. Before then I was not able to jog more than a minute without giving up. If you find this difficult to do on your own or you can start the plan with a friend. You can be accountable to each other and that will also help keep you on pace. Before long you will find yourself looking forward to your runs. I use my runs as a time to think, clear my head and let go of the stresses of the day. I also have a running partner that I run with once or twice a week. So even if I skip a run or two I know that he will keep me on track with the runs we do.
If you know you’re not disciplined enough to do it on your own. Another thing you might want to consider is hiring a personal trainer. Personal trainers are people who have gone to school specifically for training and can not only help you, but they will make sure that you’re doing exercises in the correct form to prevent injury. A personal trainer can be a great asset. They can design a program specifically for you to help you drop weight, get in shape and build muscle. They will also design an eating plan to help you manage your diet as well. You can find personal trainers in gyms, as well as through private business.
Yet another thing you can try is Zumba (Latin dancing) or another form of dance. They have different types of dance class that will peak almost anyone’s interest. To me Zumba is the most fun…. I can dance and have fun and it does not feel like exercise at all!! You can go to www.zumba.com to find classes everywhere.
As you can see, there are plenty of programs you can choose from to help get you started. The key is to start slowly so you don’t get overwhelmed and give up. Even if you can only start by doing 10 minutes a day and build up to 30. Something is better than nothing. Pretty soon you will be losing weight, feeling great and it will be all worth it!!
