Plan Before You Run
Staying true to fitness goals requires a long-term vision
If exercise is part of your self-improvement agenda, you're probably eager to jump in with both feet.
Maybe you want to buy a membership in a gym, or a treadmill and weights to start a home-based program, and maybe you pledged to a rigorous workout.
As counter-intuitive as it seems, those steps are just what you don't want to take when you're starting out.
"Some people think the harder and faster they exercise, the quicker they'll see results," says Diane A. Klein, Ph.D.
Unfortunately your enthusiastic start could instead sideline you with an injury if your body isn't ready, according to Klein, associate professor of exercise and sports sciences, Tennessee Wesleyan University, Athens.
Before you invest your time and money, take steps to assure that exercise will become a part of your lifestyle. Be sensible, be prepared and create a routine you'll enjoy.
Start with realistic expectations.
You're not going to shrink into your high school jeans overnight.
In fact, it will probably take at least six months before you see any results from your exercise routine, according to Wendy M. Rodgers, Ph.D., faculty of physical education and recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Calif.
Use other motivations, not just your dress size, to get moving.
"A lot of people report that if they regularly exercise they feel better and manage their moods. Older women feel stronger; they can do more things," says Klein, a member of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Make a reasonable exercise plan.
"People may have a lot of ideas but need a lot of support," says Rodgers, also an ACSM member.
For example, you may think you'd like to swim on Mondays before work, but if you don't pack your swimsuit or grooming supplies you're not going to follow through. If you've enrolled in a gym halfway across town, you've got more excuses to drop out.
Rodgers recommends taking a week to examine what you want to do and how to do it.
Don't lock yourself one kind of exercise, but be open to a wide range of experiences.
If you only jog, you're going to be in trouble when it's 10 degrees with a snowstorm on the way. Likewise if you only walk with a partner - what will you do if your buddy goes on vacation?
People who vary their routine are less likely to drop out, Klein says.
Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
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