Creating a Personal Exercise Plan You Can Stick To

Do you start exercise plans with the best intentions of getting in shape, but then have trouble staying with any regimen long enough to see the benefits?

Developing a personal exercise plan that you can stick to will help you to lead a longer and healthier life.

These are some principles and techniques to help you understand the basics and keep you fit for life.

Guiding Principles for a Personal Exercise Plan

1. Get motivated.

It's easier to make the effort to work out when you believe in the important benefits that it produces.

An active lifestyle will help you lose weight, prevent many diseases and give you more energy to pursue your favorite activities.

2. Take a balanced approach.

A comprehensive work out includes three key components. Train for strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness.

If you're looking for ways to save time, there are many ways to combine your training. Activities like swimming will strengthen both your heart and muscles.

3. Eat right.

Diet and exercise go hand in hand. Nutrient dense foods will give you the energy you need to train.

Limiting your calories will help you maintain your ideal weight.

4. Be patient.

It takes time to see the results from healthy eating and exercise. Remember that safe and gradual weight loss will be more sustainable than crash diets.

Depending on your weight and other factors, walking for just a half hour at least 5 days a week will burn up 700 calories or more.

5. See your doctor if necessary.

If you're over 35 and you've been inactive for a while, you may want to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Your doctor can also help you plan a program that's safe for various conditions like heart disease or arthritis.

Practical Techniques for Sticking to a Personal Exercise Plan

1. Clarify your goals.

Moderate exercise may be all you need if you just want to improve your overall health and feel more energetic.

If you have your heart set on running a marathon, you'll need more targeted preparations.

2. Set up a regular schedule.

Aim for consistency. You may find it refreshing to visit your health club after work or you may prefer an invigorating morning run.

In any case, create a routine that coordinates with the other demands on your time.

3. Vary your workouts.

Guard against boredom by mixing up your activities. Visit a new yoga studio or do your tai chi outdoors when the weather is pleasant.

4. Anticipate obstacles.

Identify potential interruptions and make contingency plans. You could keep a treadmill on hand for those days when bad weather traps you indoors or take a jump rope with you when you travel.

5. Create challenges.

Your body adapts to familiar movements. Increase the number of repetitions or use an exercise ball to make leg lifts more intense.

6. Avoid injuries.

Most injuries can be prevented. Allow adequate time for rest and recovery. Use the proper gear like sturdy running shoes or sport-specific safety wear.

Work with a trainer first to master good form before doing yoga or free weights on your own.

7. Enlist support.

Getting fit can be fun if you add in a social component. Find an exercise buddy so you'll feel more accountable about showing up at the gym.

Help your kids get a healthy start by playing volleyball together in the evening instead of watching TV.

8. Reward yourself.

Celebrate your progress with fat free rewards. Sample exotic fruits or treat yourself with a new set of dumbbells.

Putting careful thought into a personal exercise plan will pay off in superior results.

You'll look and feel your best at every stage in life by keeping physically fit.

Keeping in Shape: Easy Activity Boosters for Your Daily Routine

As more and more cautions of living a sedentary life are publicized, you may feel challenged to discover ways to incorporate more physical activity into your everyday life.

In the busy times we live in, adding anything else into your schedule is probably hard to imagine!

These suggestions will help you infuse more physical activity into your life using your normal daily routines:

1. Use housekeeping as a physical activity.

Just keeping up on your minor housekeeping tasks can provide daily activities which keep your body moving in all kinds of ways.

Sweeping, dusting, mopping, and vacuuming are all wonderful ways to stay active.

* Of course, it's necessary to avoid over-doing chores in any given day. A less taxing way is to do just one or two home-keeping tasks daily.

* Another method to structure your housekeeping duties is to clean just one room per day. This rotation method can be spread across 5 or 6 days during your busy week, which ensures you'll get some physical activity each day from cleaning rather than be overloaded on a single day.

* At any rate, keeping your home in tip-top shape is one of the best ways to keep your body vibrant.

2. Accept exercise as a daily event.

Regard exercising the same as you do taking a shower or brushing your teeth. In other words, see exercise as a normal part of life.

Once you change your mind-set about how you view exercise, you can accept it as a naturally recurring aspect of your daily existence.

* Before you shower in the morning, take 20 minutes for a quick walk, run, or exercise DVD. When you do physical activity first thing in the morning, you've got the energy to get through it.

Plus, you'll go in to the rest of your day feeling like you accomplished something.

* Alternatively, throw your bag of work-out clothes into your car so that on your way home from work, you can stop in at the health club for 30 minutes of exercise.

It will help you de-stress from work and renew your energy for a great evening.

* Or, play music and dance before dinner. You can do this while it cooks. Nothing gets you moving and burning calories like listening to your favorite tunes and dancing.

Get the entire family into the act! Your mood will lift and your stomach, hips and legs will get toned while you're having fun.

3. Exercise while watching TV.

Think about a television show you watch each evening that lasts 30 minutes. The steady schedule of the program will help you keep your exercise consistent, too.

Do some toe touches, squats and modified sit-ups to burn calories and maintain a toned appearance while you watch your favorite show.

4. Stay active in your community.

When you volunteer to help out in your community, choose an activity that keeps you moving.

Help clean a local civic organization hall or serve food at a local church or community club.

Avoid a sedentary lifestyle by making exercise a priority. Use these tips to help you get started and then think of other ways you could bring exercise into your regular routines.

Daily exercise can be a normal part of your healthy life - without having to fit another time slot into your busy schedule!

Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Lifetime Fitness Exercise guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over 35 years and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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