Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Fitness programs: 5 steps to getting started

Are you thinking about starting a fitness program? Good for you! You're only five steps away from a healthier lifestyle.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight — even improve your sleep habits and self-esteem. And there's more good news. You can do it in just five steps.

Step 1: Assess your fitness level

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores can give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. To assess your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition, consider recording:

• Your pulse rate before and after you walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)
• How long it takes you to walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)
• How many push-ups you can do at a time
• How far you can reach forward while seated on the floor with your legs in front of you
• Your waist circumference as measured around your bare abdomen just above your hipbone
• Your body mass index

Step 2: Design your fitness program

It's easy to say that you'll exercise every day. But you'll need a plan. As you design your fitness program, keep these points in mind:

• Consider your fitness goals. Are you starting a fitness program to help lose weight? Or do you have another motivation, such as preparing for a marathon? Having clear goals can help you gauge your progress.
• Create a balanced routine. Most adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity — a week. Adults also need two or more days of strength training a week.
• Go at your own pace. If you're just beginning to exercise, start cautiously and progress slowly. If you have an injury or a medical condition, consult your doctor or a physical therapist for help designing a fitness program that gradually improves your range of motion, strength and endurance.
• Build activity into your daily routine. Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment. Plan to watch your favorite show while walking on the treadmill, or read while riding a stationary bike.
• Plan to include different activities. Different activities (cross-training) can keep exercise boredom at bay. Cross-training also reduces your chances of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint. Plan to alternate among activities that emphasize different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.
• Allow time for recovery. Many people start exercising with frenzied zeal — working out too long or too intensely — and give up when their muscles and joints become sore or injured. Plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.
• Put it on paper. A written plan may encourage you to stay on track.

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The next step

Congratulations. If you took the last chapter seriously, you spent a lot of time getting your heroine or hero
clearly in your mind. That is, you psychologically perspired and reaped the reward. As a result, your imagination is significantly improved. Now, you'll be able to get inspired every time you feel like quitting. Therefore, you won't quit.

OK... maybe you think you still may. In that case, just keep the corporate fitness director's email address in your address book and/or do the same for a friend or two--ones who'll help get you back on the wagon before you fall off. That's the safest and smartest way to make it past tax season if you started in January. Got that all done? Great!

But, you aren't done with your imagination homework yet. What you now need is a script for your Jane, Jillian or Jack--what they'll say to you. This is crucial unless you're going to make an appointment with them, tell them your life story, and then follow each and everything they have to say. That's never going to happen. As you know, they're not like doctors, who see you for about thirty minutes, keep charts, write prescriptions and give advice. What you do with an icon is respond to their website and have its' automatic responder prepare a fitness program just for you. That really may provide quite a bit of helpful information. However, even if you look at this regularly, you'll still be left with questions and concerns.

Therefore, what you've got to do is think. This will probably be harder than getting your icon foremost in your imagination. But that's what you have to do. To get the ball rolling, you should : 1.) start with the articles above; 2.) answer my questions below; 3.) internalize everything that you get from your icon's auto responder; 4.) come up with whatever you need to hear when times get tough. That's your next homework assignment. Doing a thorough job of all this will give your Jack, Jillian or Jane some good things to say during the hard times ahead. Then, all you need to do is always listen to what they have to say. Sound easy? Good luck. You'll need it. It may prove to be the hardest thing you've ever done!

It's not easy

I may now be sounding very pessimistic. If so, it's to make Jillian the country's second hardest trainer--second only to me. But, easy answers are for the gullible people, who are always at the mercy of  corporate America's advertising departments (and aspiring national gurus, who have a penchant for hanging it up after they've made their fortune.) They always try to make people think that just taking their pill, using their machine or following their advice will make an overnight difference. Unless you've been into a regular fitness program for a very long time, it is highly unlikely that any of these will be of any help whatsoever.

The truth is that it's hard to get into fitness, even for former athletes. After a period of hanging it up for whatever common sense reasons (such as the demands of profession and family,) it's still hard. Thus, if you're a complete neophyte, you're forewarned! That's the bad news. The good is that it really does get much easier to do far more than you can today. Thus, staying at it can actually (will) get to be fun.

Both the bad news and the good should be taken seriously, if you want to stay on the wagon. But most importantly, you've got to get your icons saying the right things at each and every juncture--things which you know are true. The only caveat is in believing that all you need do is to now and then take a look at Jane's, Jillian's or Jack's website and newsletters. Assuming you even do this beyond the first week, it will never enough. You have specific needs and concerns, which may be only partially touched upon in all of what they have to say.That's why you have to think for yourself, while carefully reading all of their material. That's how you get them to say the right things every time the important questions come up. (These will be anything from "why am I doing this" to "why will things work this time--not not work like the last." Daunting queries of this nature, and others, will afflict you every day for at least your first year.)

It takes a while

That may sound absurdly long to wait for anything pleasant. Hopefully it doesn't take that long. Perhaps you will not be such a doubter; or perhaps you'll see tangible results more quickly. But it's better for me to ar on the bad side, never leading you to believe that all will be well "by next week." That's something the advertising experts (and those like them) keep promising. Neither a fitness lifestyle, done as regularly as the brushing of your teeth, nor the changes, which you'll see in the mirror, will ever occur this quickly.

There are those who'll vehemently disagree. After they read what I do, and my rationale for doing it, they may say that nothing which I've got to say will ever get results for anyone. That's meant to entice you into the equivalent of attending a boot camp--one of those barbaric places (or states of mind) with a strenuous make or break you atmosphere. That's the supposed only way to get you fast results. Follow their advice if you must. You may lose ten pounds. But, it's more likely that you'll get injuries and the feeling that you're just not cut out for a fitness lifestyle.

Beware of those who promise quick results

The only positive thing that I can say about these folks is that they may occasionally be good for some who are already fit. For instance, I'm inclined to try out some of their ideas once in a blue moon. But, remember, I've been regularly living a fitness lifestyle for quite a while by most people's standards. Furthermore, with what I do, I continue to make minor but actual improvements (muscular development, ability to do more rpms, fat loss) generally a couple times a year. So, I'm not initially enthusiastic about some brand new pill, gadget or guru. Started before going to high school, my own tried and true program is really quite enough. That's the point I hope to get you to.

But, if you're one of the under-forty folks, this may not be enough of a turn on. You'll be more interested in body building or perhaps marathon championships. Therefore, you should start looking for a more sports oriented tutor. I had one like this in 1978, who was a world champ; and working out with him changed my life. So, find someone like this if you can. Nevertheless, you would do well to get yourself in shape first. I certainly was back then, and that was fortunate. What my mentor put me through would otherwise have injured me. It is dangerous to throw oneself into a training routine that you cannot handle physically. (Reread the above articles.)

Start slowly

This chapter is about using your head, which, when it comes to fitness, almost always means starting slowly and remaining consistent. To get you doing that, I have provided an honest portrayal of what I currently do, which has evolved since 1961. I mention this not to impress you with my ability to stay on the wagon, but rather to suggest that a fitness lifestyle is good for you even as you get older. (I am 63 as I write. I'm also far more fit than I was when in high school.) This is something that is not believed by most. Rather, people seem to believe that our prime went away long ago, and that we should now take it easy. What's ludicrous is that this advice passes as street wisdom for folks thirty-something as well as for those who are seventy-five. More and more studies are beginning to say otherwise.

My workout routine may require too much time for the average person with a family and job. Most employed moms and dads don't have (or think they don't have) two hours a day to invest in working out. Therefore, cutting the exercise time in half may be necessary. That's OK, as long as you are eating properly and supplementing. Whatever you do, doing it every day is essential. It really should become like the brushing of your teeth. It's that way for me, though this was hardly the case when I was a fat kid right before high school. And, if it's any help, it wasn't even that way through high school, when I was just out for swimming. Maybe, if I would have been out for more sports than one, training year round  like my really good state champion teammates, things might have been different. So much for all about me.

Reputable sources say much the same things

The above articles are from the Medicine.net, About.com and the Mayo Clinic. All are from very common sense places (perhaps you'll think boring) to start you off in your thinking. If you do a good job with them,  answer my questions below, and study your icon's material, your Jillian, Jack or Jane will know what to say to you. They'll start talking to you about what's really important. But, for that to happen, you really need to do the thinking beforehand. You might also want to discuss these things with others in a group setting. All that's crucial. If you can't immediately see why or how, go through the steps and give it a little time. Your most important muscle is your mind; and, it develops through solitary questions, answers, and imagination in conjunction with shared dialogue.

A few hours of thought can make this time different

If you don't do this homework, your icons will have nothing important to say when you need them the most. They'll just appear for a moment, only to fleet away in the face of some more pressing mental obligation, such as your boss needing the year end report done by ten tomorrow morning. In a situation like this, a mindless, inarticulate icon, will not keep you on the wagon! It will only make you feel like you've wasted your time in immature hero-worship.You must hear (and see) them say what you know to be true for you in order for them to be effective.

This may sound like you just talking to yourself via daydream imagery, meaning that you really don't need them--that you need only the facts and beliefs. That may be true after a few years and a number of changes--ones which you can really see in the mirror. But until then, you will continually be tempted to give up, or go off the wagon even though a part of you knows that this shouldn't occur. To keep that from happening, you simply need a two second reminder from a special person of what really matters.That is the crucial part which your imaginary icon can play--something which the flesh and blood one wishes they could do for their millions of fans. They would happily tailor their standard advice to fit you, where you are at, right now.

Don't be ashamed to ask for help

If all of this sounds esoteric, confusing, or like too much, you should ask for help. That means knocking on your corporate fitness director's door-- something which may be hard. But that's not something to be ashamed of. It's just part of what you may have to go through, assuming you want to make it. Even if you think you may not need help, you should ask for it anyway. Being unsure is a good indicator of a need for encouragement.You'll never be laughed at, and will probably find out that you were on the right path anyway.

The most important thing is for you to become your own person. That is entirely different than a contestant  (a number) in a biggest loser competition, or whatever. Nothing else has a chance of long term success. The resistance, objections and fantasies associated with daily workouts, diets, and supplements are relentless, some would say vengeful. They're why most people quit. Having your imaginary icons saying what it takes to offset the negativeness makes all the difference.

My fitness lifestyle to help with yours

What follows is what I do. It is not specifically recommended for you, though some of my preferences may be good for you to try. It is included here to get your mind in gear. It spells out what I do and why.That's what you have to think about for you. Having your own answers to the important questions, your own fitness preferences, and your own idea of what you can or cannot handle on a daily basis is essential. Once you have all of that, your imaginary Jack, Jillian or Jane will know what to tell you when you need to hear it the most. Getting that as part of what you can see and hear in your mind is the first of the giant steps in your fitness journey--becoming your own version of Rocky.

MY WORKOUT

Done everyday--not every other, not if I feel like it, not when I get up on time etc. In other words, always. Out of the house by four. Back by six. Why do I do it? Working out makes the whole day better from professional hours through those at home. Also keeps BMI in check at 22.6. Therefore, I don't miss, not even on my birthday or Christmas. (And why would want to? Those are special days, that I especially want to enjoy!)

A.)Weights

1.)Situps
2.)Leg raises
3.)Leg extensions
4.)Back arch
5.)Flies
6.)Calf raise
7.)Preacher curls
8.)Bench wide
9.)Bench narrow
10.)Bench medium
11.)Seated chins
12.)Cable rowing
13.)Neck
14.)Delt pulls
15.)Diaphragm pulls
16.)Behind the neck pull downs
17.)Torso pulls
18.)Wide delts
19.)Narrow delts
20.)Medium delts
21.)Leg machine quads
22.)Leg machine curls

Sub-total 50 minutes. This is followed by:

B.) Cardio

40 MINUTES on sit down bike while reading and/or memorizing

C.) Feeling Good (endorphins)

2 or 3 15 minute walks per day while anticipating or cooling down after meetings; one after the evening meal.

Total TIME 120 or so minutes per day

Now... what are the reasons that you (will) workout? What do (will) you do? How often? When during the day? What will prevent you from working out? How have you got this handled? How do you feel about working out? What will you do to make it fun?

MY DIET

Gluten free, organic. Two meals daily.(Makes me feel good. Studies show positive effect on brain and rest of body. Easy to digest.) Approximately 2000 calories per day. Results in approximate two pound loss per year, gives adequate energy for next day's workout. Add natural fruit juice (generally no more than six-eight ounces) if meals do not give feelings of recovery, physical rejuvenation. I never go to bed hungry or exhausted.

Now...why do  you eat what you do? How much, when and what? Is it safe, or do you still blindly put whatever looks good into the grocery cart? Do you read the grams of sugar, fat, the number of calories per serving--actually noting portion size?! Do you have a safe way of satisfying cravings? Do you know where to find one that you can enjoy and afford?

MY SUPPLEMENTS

I have at least two check ups per year(supplements and dosages noted in my file,) proving this program of pills is OK, when used with daily exercise and healthy diet. My supplements (types, brands and dosages worked at for thirty years) help in energy production, rebuilding after workouts, and anti-oxidant protection. They help me make physical improvements, recover between workouts, stay free from colds, or injuries etc. They enable me to stay razor sharp for the entire professional day. Food alone (especially of the FDA-OK strip mall grocery store variety--generally referred to as real food) would never do this.

1.)Vitamin C 10gms
2.)Creatine 12gms
3.)Vit-100 ( 2 powerful multis--at least 30 times MDR for the basic nutrients)
4.)Caffein 500mg
5.)Yohimbe 3 gms
6.)Cider vinegar plus glucomman (1 gm)
7.)Green tea 1200mg
8.)Complete Amino twice daily
9.)Ginkgo 240mg
10.)Saw Palmetto 320mg
11.)DHEA 100mg
12.)Acidophilus 8billion units
13.)Fruit juice 140 calories minimum
14.)Vitamin B3 40,000 IUs
15.)Arginine 4gms
16.)Papaya 1 stick

Cost --about 100.00/mo. wholesale

Method of remembering--the Rocky method (like swallowing the raw eggs) four times daily from little pill containers. Approximately 40 units total.

Now... are you on supplements?

To sell those who hate all those pesky pills... everyday workouts and being "with it" for the entire work day  are  impossible without them. Same may be true for appetite control. None of us get enough from grocery store food to work out everyday and stay on top of our game.

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Wrapping it up

Most trainers will never share what they do. That's because they believe only in telling you what to do. Perhaps they've got a good thing to say now and then, but I doubt that they do when it comes to the long haul. In the words of Plutarch, the well-known first century biographer, "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." All of the above is an attempt to kindle your fire.

Being very diligent in all of the homework--getting your icons saying what you need to hear, is the only way to make a lasting change into a fitness lifestyle. Doing that with someone, such as a corporate fitness director and/or a group, can make this hard task much easier, if not fun. Without a doubt, it's the best way to forever lock you into your own version of Rocky

For further thought on mental imagery order my e-book "Think and Grow Fit."