| Walk your way to better health |
Ok, so you've decided to forge ahead in spite of your fear, and start working out. Now what? How do you choose between the plethora of options available to you including Tae Bo, Boxercise, Yoga, Pilates, Elliptical machine, jogging, swimming, etc? Any exercise is better than no exercise so stop over-analysing: just pick something and start. Just do it! If you can't make up your mind, then here's the simplest, easiest, most guaranteed way for any beginner to successfully start a fitness program:
Walk!
Here's why:
- It requires no equipment
- It requires no knowledge of exercise technique
- It can be done by almost everyone, regardless of experience
- It can be done almost anywhere
- It's safe
For all these reasons, walking is the perfect way to begin. However, the fitter you become, the more you'll need to advance to higher levels of exercise intensity to reach higher levels of fitness. I'm not saying you should abandon walking, but if you decide to keep walking, a casual stroll will no longer do. Your body adapts quickly to new routines, so you need to keep challenging it in different ways. For beginners, a 10 or 15-minute casual walk has health benefits, but if you want to turn walking into an effective, fat-burning, heart-healthy workout, you'll need to push yourself a little bit further – for at least 30 minutes or more several days per week.
As the weeks go by and you are feeling a little less puffed every time you go out, try increasing the intensity of your walk by walking more briskly, and change your route regularly. Try to go a little bit further every day – even if it’s only a minute extra, it will all add up in improving your overall fitness and health.
Never, ever quit!
Like I said at the beginning - fitness is a lifestyle! It’s not just for January.
Unfortunately, one of the most common mistakes made by beginners is that they quit – usually because they’re not seeing results fast enough. Ironically, most people quit right when they're on the verge of making substantial progress. Remember: You're never a failure as long as you're working towards achieving a worthy goal. Go on!
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