How to Start Exercising Properly

It’s the start of a new year, and a time when people start exercising or they exercise with more dedication. If you’ve never had an exercise routine before, you might wonder what the best approach is to start exercising. You need goals, a customized plan, proper nutrition and you need to write down what you want to achieve. We can help establish the basics for when you start exercising so you achieve your goals this year!

New Year, New You

Eating better and getting in shape top the New Year’s resolutions people make. However, by this time (the 3rd month of the year) up to 80% of people have already quit their resolutions. One problem is setting goals that are very hard to achieve, plus problems with time management, remembering your goals, and knowing how to accomplish them.

The American Heart Association recommends that every person get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. That’s about 2.5 hours out of 168 total hours for the week. It’s definitely possible to reach that exercise goal if think about it on a smaller scale. We recommend setting small goals, achieving those smaller goals and then adding on to them as time goes on. After making the goal to start exercising, you have to put that goal into action.

Exercising Properly

Nutrition is an important aspect of getting in shape, but you don’t want to hurt yourself when you start exercising. That’s especially true if you already have an injury or if you have a chronic condition or are of advanced age. Did you know that exercise can actually help your injury heal faster and can make symptoms of chronic conditions less painful and frequent? Every patient that comes into our office will receive a customized plan that fits their goals and their health conditions. We will provide you exercises to heal an injury while also helping you to get in shape.

If you don’t have an injury and simply want to make your muscles stronger, we have vibration therapy available to patients. This is an easy exercise that any patient can do and it only takes a few minutes of your time. The key to exercising properly is having a set of exercises, especially ones that are a mix of cardio and weights. You will do a cardio warm-up and follow it by 10-15 reps of weight exercise. You will alternate working arms, legs, back and other parts of your body on different days. If you have an injury, you want to have physical therapy services for that injury about every other day until you heal. You also want to supplement your exercise with weight-loss aids such as Laser-Like Lipo to get the last few pounds off. Each exercise journey will be different for each patient, but we can customize yours when you come into our therapy center.

Don’t Forget About Nutrition

Nutrition is a major part of losing weight and feeling good while you exercise. Many people have chronic conditions and feel fatigued or sluggish because their bodies lack the fuel they need to get through the day, let alone a workout. Make sure your diet is rich in the 6 essential nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, water, vitamins and minerals. You need protein, carbs and even fat so that you have energy throughout the day. Aim for drinking about half your body weight in ounces each day to keep your skin healthy, your digestive tract moving normally and to stay hydrated. If you don’t know how your nutrition is doing, get a nutritional assessment at our office. We can look for nutrient deficiencies and make a diet and exercise plan that fits your body’s needs. We can also get a look at where your fat deposits lie so you know what areas to target.

Schedule It In

One of the hardest parts when you start exercising properly is making time to actually do it. Exercise takes time. There are many studies that show that goals written down are goals that are achieved more often. Make sure you get a schedule or a planner of some sort and schedule in the times you want to start exercising. Then, stick to those goals. Having set therapy appointments helps as well.

Some people wake up and start exercising early in the morning. Others will like exercising at night or throughout the day in little bursts. Do what works for you, but schedule it in so it definitely gets done. When you enlist the help of others, you are also more likely to meet your weight goals. This is why working with professionals helps so many people meet their diet and fitness goals. When we help you with nutritional assessments, counseling and exercises, you will have scheduled times that you meet with us and you’ll keep a record of what you are doing. This is one of the best ways to start exercising and keep exercising.

Start Exercising with Help

We commend you for your desire to start exercising. Even doing a little bit here and there will help improve your health and will lengthen your life. Set goals for your fitness routine and what you want to achieve. Write those goals down and work with our professionals at Texas Spine & Sports Therapy Center. Then, make sure you are eating a balanced diet full of nutrients to help keep your body healthy as you transform it. If you would like help getting started on your new diet and fitness journey, call our office today at (512) 806-0015!