Where to begin

I have written before about how overwhelming it can be to begin working out.  I’m going to do it again, because there are always people just starting out.  Also, the rest of us can use some reminding.

 

What do we do first?  What are all these gizmos and machines for?  What do we really need to do and what is optional?

 

When we are starting from the couch, the first thing we need to do is to build some cardio endurance.  We need that cardio base to work from when we start lifting weights.  It is generally a good idea to start small and work up to reduce the likelihood of injury, soreness, or severe rebellion against the very idea of moving ever again.  “Small” is a term that each of us has to define for ourselves.  Some of us need to start with five minutes of walking most days of the week; others of us can jump right in to the recommended 30 minutes of moderate cardio five times a week.  Once we have reached that 30 minute level and we don’t feel like we’re going to die at any moment, we have our cardio base and we can move along to weight training.

 

This is where I come in.  Most folks don’t need a trainer to get in cardio.  We grab our headphones and turn up the music or bribe ourselves with our favorite shows or go on outside and get it done.  Weights are a little different, especially when we are starting out.  A trainer can help keep us safe by demonstrating good form.  It’s nice to have someone do the counting and planning for us.  And then there is that whole thing where I get people to have a reasonably good time doing something they don’t really want to do.  When we start lifting weights, again, our first priority is building some basic endurance.  We start with light weights and work our way up.  A good starting point is one session a week, building up to two or three (unless we want to be serious body-builders, in which case things get much more complex).  Even if we don’t choose to work with a trainer, we want to put the priority on free weights rather than all those fancy gym machines because most of those machines work our muscles in isolation from each other, which is not how stuff works in real life.  When we work with free weights, we also build core strength, balance, and coordination.  (Those machines have uses for people with specific issues or injuries or other limitations and it is not BAD to use them; free weights are just, on the whole, BETTER.)  Our bodies really start to change when we begin lifting weights.  This is where we begin to build lean body mass, increase our metabolisms, and burn a lot of fat.

 

Then I need to talk about the most neglected part of most of our fitness efforts:  flexibility.  We get pretty good about showing up to do our cardio and weights and then we’re tired and we think that we’ll just skip the stretching today or do it later and we never seem to get around to it.  This is not the best choice.  Having toned muscles and all is great, but life is about moving, so if we skip the stretches too much, we are essentially limiting our lives by way of our range of motion.  Stretching feels good, so we perverse slaves of the Protestant Work Ethic think that it must not be all right to do or something.  Fight the power:  do some stretching!

 

I am always available for questions, so don’t hesitate to drop me a line or give me a call to ask.  Now go play.