Thinking of starting a intense exercise regiment or running after a long absence or having never done it at all? Think again. It is probably a better idea to ramp up some before diving right into an intense work out program.
Doing a low impact aerobic based work out or even walking for several weeks will ease you into an intense workout and help prevent you from getting seriously injured or failing out of your exercise program because of fatigue. A simple way of preparing yourself for an exercise program without spending a great deal of money can be as simple as walking.
Walking
If you are new to exercise, begin by taking short walks daily. You may want to start out at fifteen minutes or so for a week, giving yourself a day of rest. Then gradually, add five or ten minutes to your walk as you feel you are capable of. Once you get to the point of walking for forty-five to sixty minutes, you can try increasing your speed. Gradually adding more speed until you are speed walking at a pretty good clip. On rainy days, you can try walking on a treadmill if you have access. However, watch out! If you don't use good form and mainly keep your head up, you could sustain neck injuries. This is why most public facilities provide televisions hanging from the ceiling to watch to keep your head pointing up and not down at the console.
Once you have gotten to the point where you are proficient at speed walking, you may want to try an aerobics program to add a little more movement and challenge your muscles more. You can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time that walking.
Aerobic Work Outs
If you are already active or have graduated from walking, you can try doing a simple at home aerobics program. There are many of these available on the market. Personally, I favor those on the BeachBody web site. I have used their Slim In 6 program to ramp up for many work outs. It is versatile because there are different levels of difficulty depending on what kind of shape you are in and how much time you have to work out. Slim in 6 is from fitness expert Debbie Siebers and Power Half Hour is from celebrity fitness trainer Tony Horton. I have used both Slim in 6 and Power Half Hour in the past with success. I did Slim in 6 in order to get ready to take the P90X fit test and I passed it. Slim in 6 is more non-weight oriented and uses resistance bands. In Power Half Hour you use dumbbells as well as free standing aerobic moves for some workouts.
Once you have made it through and mastered one of these programs, you may be ready to take it to the next level of intensity by doing that advanced workout that you wanted to do. Many of these are available on BeachBody as well such as P90X or Insanity.
Good luck and be safe! And as always, you should consult with a physician before attempting any exercise program.
