Basic Workout Guidelines

A Basic Workout Program

-Should be at least five days a week. At least three days of aerobic activity and two days of strength training and flexibility.

-Always warm up (getting your muscles warm by walking or a light jog, something that will get you moving and warm up your muscles) for 5-10 minutes and then stretch.

-Make sure to stretch all your major muscle groups. Make sure that you are stretching and not injuring yourself. It shouldn't hurt. The more you stretch the more flexible you will become.

-Always cool down for 10-15 minutes and stretch.

-Make it fun and interesting.

-The workout itself should only be 30- 50 minutes long, unless you are training for something. For most of us 30-50 minutes is plenty of activity to add to our busy schedules and is enough to help decrease our risks of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and many other health issues as well as help us attain and keep a healthy body weight.

-Also play around with time of day to see what works best for you. If you're not a morning person, 5:30 am is probably not a realistic time to get up to exercise.

-Also for those who have not been working out and are just starting out keep with it. The first week or two could be rough but if you stick with it it will get easier and who knows you might actually enjoy yourself.

-Be realistic in your goals for yourself. If you haven't been running, don't start off running your hardest for a half hour. Start with a jog and if you need to take walking breaks do it but whatever you do keep moving. Build your way up to finishing a workout and you will avoid injury and also keep from becoming so sore that you will have to take a break from working out and or won't want to continue to workout.