Are You And Your Workout Compatible?
By Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE
Maybe you’ve been a natural athlete since birth or maybe your only experience with exercise is having dodged a ball in gym class. If you’ve tried to begin an exercise program in the past and were unsuccessful, don’t blame your motivation. You may have chosen an activity that was not compatible with your needs or personality. You’re not alone. It’s been said that most people who take on a fitness program stop and start an average of 13 times in their lifetime.
It all seems so simple: eat less, exercise and lose weight. Yet approximately 44 million Americans are overweight and deaths from lifestyle related diseases are at an all time high. Choosing the right activity can make the difference between dropping out and making exercise a permanent part of your life with all the benefits to go along with it.
Personal factors -- Looking at who is the most likely to begin and stick to an exercise program, the odds are in favor of the young, healthy, higher educated, non-smoking, normal weight, professional workers who have good past experiences with exercise. If this does not match your profile, you can still be successful if you perceive exercise as beneficial and choose an activity that matches your ability level and interest.
Internally motivated -- Those who demonstrate internal motivation such as "I'm doing this to be in charge of my life," are more successful in sticking to an exercise program than those who focus on external reasons like fitting into a new pair of jeans or getting a six pack.
Patience is a virtue -- Those who make gradual changes in diet and exercise are more likely to successfully exercise for the long-term -- and manage their weight -- than those who make and expect dramatic changes all at once.
Social support -- Those who are part of a strong support group of family, friends, colleagues and treatment groups (including online support) find it easier to stick to exercise programs.
Choose your environment -- Ask yourself if you prefer to exercise in a group, with one supportive buddy or alone. You may be surprised at your answer. For those who sit at a computer terminal all day, joining an energetic group in an upbeat fitness studio may be just the thing to balance out their day. For individuals who spend the day communicating with others, they may enjoy a solitary run or the inner focus of a yoga tape.
Assess the convenience of working out at home or the changing scenery of a health club. Do you enjoy the outdoors or fancy a more controlled environment? Do your preferences change seasonally? The more in tune you are to your desires, the more likely you are to make appropriate exercise choices that you will stick to.
For the novice -- Rhythmic, large muscle activities such as walking and cycling are typically the most beneficial for the beginner, because they can control their intensity and the movements are not sophisticated. Beginners want to stick to uncomplicated activities so they can get maximal aerobic benefit, enjoy themselves and reduce their risk of injuries.
Beginners can also safely start out strength training and will have more success sticking to gym machines or following the supervision of a video tape. It's important to maximize convenience for beginners and use this time to build a base for activities that you would like to pursue. This stage typically lasts 4–6 weeks.
Intermediate exercisers -- Once a baseline of fitness has been developed, more challenging activities can be introduced -- like free weights and kick boxing -- where a combination of strength, endurance and more coordination are required. They can also progress from gym machines to the use of free weights for a new challenge. This stage usually lasts 8–20 weeks.
Advanced exercisers -- To keep the level of interest up, it's suggested that advanced exercisers take up activities that not only require physical fitness, but also skills like balance, coordination, speed and agility. Individual or team sports can be more challenging, because they require the use of health, fitness, mental and skill related components simultaneously. This stage hopefully lasts a lifetime and it's important to emphasize variety.
Special needs -- If you have a specific health concern like hypertension, obesity or osteoporosis, you want to choose activities that are appropriate to your condition. Check with your health care provider for a list of appropriate exercises and guidelines to ensure your success.
Be realistic -- While you may be able to narrow down an activity that you feel you will truly enjoy, keep in mind that cross-training is important and you also need to consider time constraints, fitness level and equipment availability. So, if you think rock climbing is going to be the perfect exercise for you but you haven't exercised your entire adult life, you will need to come up with a plan to build a baseline of strength and gradually begin to incorporate hiking and ultimately rock climbing to reach your aspirations.
Keep an open mind -- You don’t know if you’ll like something unless you give it a try. You may have never pictured yourself in the saddle of a mountain bike, but try renting one for an afternoon and you may be pleasantly surprised at the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. It’s the things that you don’t do that you regret, and it may take a little trial and error to find the right match.
People vary widely in their health and fitness status, motivation, goals, age, needs, desires, education, occupation, health habits and medical background. Developing an exercise program that best meets your needs and personality may take the expertise of a fitness professional who is trained to individualize workouts to your needs.
The bottom line is for you to have the most benefit and enjoyment from your exercise program with the least amount of risk.
There are about as many different workout routines as there are people who exercise. Former President George Bush took up sky diving at 72! Olympic medallist Stein Eriksen is still skiing hard at 70! And the famous Senator, John Glen revisited his old career as an astronaut at the age of 77. It’s never too late to start.