When Beginning An Exercise Program, Capitalize on Past Experience – Yours and Others’
If you have exercised before, you have some experience. You know how your body reacts to certain kinds of exercise.
If you are starting again and doing the same types of exercise as you have done in the past, you know how much you can push yourself without risking muscles soreness, or worse, injury.
Temptations When Starting or Re-starting An Exercise Program
It can be tempting to jump into a new exercise program and immediately push yourself as hard as possible. If you are lifting weights, you lift as much as you possible can. If running, you push yourself to get every bit of speed from your performance. If swimming, you swim laps until you can’t swim even one more.
You may know this is asking for trouble. The human body is not designed to have a long periods of inactivity, then a sudden maximum exertion. A medium level workout – one easier than you may think you can safely do – is the best way to start. Soreness is minimal, or not present, and you are ready to exercise again the nest day or two.
Starting Too Fast Can Lead to Soreness, Injuries, and Delays
Muscle soreness, or even injury, delays your quest for fitness. When you are sore, you can’t work as hard or perform your exercises with proper form to maximize their beneficial effects. Take it easy and start slowly at first to avoid delaying your fitness level improvement.
Find a Mentor
If you have no experience in the type of exercise you are starting, find somebody at the gym, track, pool, etc. who has experience and can guide you. They can show you how to do the exercises with proper form and the proper number of reps. They know through experience how to start safely and with maximum speed to your desired level of fitness.
Most gyms, tracks, pools, and other facilities will have a coach, trainer or similar person who can guide you. You can ‘borrow’ their experience.
Get Equipped
Get equipped with Baaab’s men’s and women’s cotton shirts that absorb seat during your workout and pool water after your laps. They keep you cool and dry.
