Steps to develop a workout program

A lot of people have written to ask me on how can they get started with a workout. Many of you are interested in working out but it is the first step that you fail to take. So let me give you simple tips on how you can put your own workout regime together. There are also many books about this topic and numerous websites and magazines that I encourage you to check out.

Start by knowing where you stand

If you have any medical condition such as high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart problems, etc., you need to check with your doctor first. Having a medical condition does not necessarily mean that you will not be able to workout; what it implies is that you may need to watch out for specific signals in your body to avoid problems. Your doctor is the best person to tell you how to proceed forward.

Be safe and avoid injuries

If you do not have any medical conditions or your doctor has cleared you to go ahead with your workout goals, you just start to workout and listen to your body. Remember that you want to avoid injury at all costs. Injuries are common reasons why people quit exercise programs.

Set reasonable goals

You need to know if your goal to workout is it to firm up, lose weight, develop muscle, improve overall health, or all of them. Usually it is a combination of all of those goals. Most people want to lose some weight. To achieve this, you need aerobic or cardio exercise. You will also need strength training to develop muscle and a few minutes of flexibility exercises.

Be accountable to yourself or to someone you can trust

You decide your goals, the time you will devote to workout, the type of workout, and you jot it down every time. You can record your progress in a diary. Several dieting websites also allow you to track your progress online using simple trackers. This is very powerful, since at any point of time, you can see if you have kept your word.

Set measureable goals

For example, lose 50 lbs in five months (or whatever time period makes sense for your body). So after one month, you can measure yourself and see if you have reached your one-month goal or if you need to change strategy. This is also very useful since when you see your accomplishments you get a strong sense of motivation and empowerment.

Reward yourself

After reaching a goal you can reward yourself. For instance, take a short trip or buy a dress. You can also have small rewards for short- and medium-term achievements and a big reward when you reach your ultimate goal.

Follow through

Excercising may be a necessary evil in life but most people, once they workout for a while, start to enjoy it. There will be times that you do not want to continue, there will be tough times but exercise is the closest thing we have to staying young. It is worthy to workout either for health or vanity reasons.

Celebrate your success

The reason you worked out was because you loved your body. Embrace your new body shape, love it and make it the best it can be. Do not be critical of yourself. You do not have to look like Britney Spears or Katie Holmes or Paris Hilton. You have to look like YOU.

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