Wednesday, January 5, 2005
 Ricardo Thomas / The Detroit News Instructor Angie Kielar leads her class through a yoga series at RX Fitness in West Bloomfield Township. Yoga is a good way to build strength and flexibility.  |
Resolve to get fit
Before moving full-steam ahead, consider goals, and start slow and steady to get lasting results
By Anna Roufos / Special to The Detroit News
Should you see a doctor first? The Mayo Clinic recommends you discuss exercise with your doctor before beginning a program, if: You've been sedentary for more than six months. You're older than 40 for a man, or 50 for a woman, and you haven't had a physical within the last two years. You've ever had a heart attack, or you have cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. You take medications to manage a chronic condition. You smoke or have emphysema, asthma, allergies or any other lung condition. You have a chronic condition such as arthritis, which limits your flexibility, strength or endurance. You're pregnant. You have a noticeable pain in a joint or muscle when walking or exercising. |
B efore Kristina Riley began an exercise program a month ago, she hadn't worked out in years.
"It's the first time I've joined a gym," says the 30-year-old Detroit resident. Her motivation: "I'm getting to that age when your body starts changing and what you eat begins showing up more," she says. "I want to lose weight and I know it will be harder later, so I'm working at getting to a point where I'm happy now and then I can maintain."
To get started, she had a couple of sessions with a trainer and began doing cardio for just 15 minutes; she also learned how to use the weight machines. She now does 20 to 25 minutes of cardio twice a week and 30 to 50 minutes of weight training, along with 15 minutes of cardio, three times a week.
"I'll definitely continue with it. I didn't believe people who said that working out gave them more energy, but it's true," Riley says. Plus, because her routine is manageable, she says, "I can usually find the time in the day."
Whether you've been sedentary for the past two months -- or two years -- motivations run high at first, especially this time of year, when getting on the treadmill seems downright urgent. But hold on to your handlebars. If you want to do more than just begin a workout program -- in other words, stick to it -- take a cue from Riley and start slow.
"The biggest mistake people make when beginning an exercise program is starting off too strong," says Stephen Todd, director of personal training with Bally Total Fitness for Detroit and Toledo. "They think, 'Oh, my gosh, I haven't worked out for two years, so I'm going to work out every day' or 'I'm going to work out five days a week.' "
Despite the good intentions, this often leads to overtraining: You're sore, you're tired, and a few weeks later, you're off the program and you don't reap the benefits.
"I see it all the time," Todd says. "People will come in all of January and they'll work out really hard, but then, by the end of the month, they're gone because their routine just became so cumbersome and so invasive. You can't go from zero days of working out to five and have the rest of your life remain balanced." Something has to give, and it's usually exercise.
If you want to get fit, resolve this year to break out of an all-or-nothing mentality. Instead, breathe, pat yourself on the back for making the right decision and take a sane approach to fitness, with the help of this guide. Then, get ready to see results.
Consider a fitness assessment
Assessing your fitness level should be a priority, says Neil Maki, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. Unfortunately, "in most cases, people don't even consider it." Most personal trainers and gyms routinely conduct an assessment before a client begins a workout program. A fitness assessment will give you your baseline fitness scores for aerobic fitness (a measure of endurance), strength, flexibility and body fat composition. These scores allow you to track your progress and give you several ways to measure your success.
An assessment also can show how to tailor your workout so you're exercising at the appropriate level, Maki says. For example, testing your cardio fitness can help determine the intensity and duration of your workout.
In addition, if you incorporate resistance training into your routine, your scale will not reflect an accurate indication of how you're doing, Maki says. "You could have lost 5 pounds of fat, gained 3 pounds of muscle and have a 2-pound weight loss, which for most people, doesn't sound too good until you go put on those tight jeans, and they're not as tight anymore." A body fat assessment can measure your ratio of fat to lean tissue.
Design a program
A well-rounded exercise program should include cardio, strength and flexibility. You'll need about 20 minutes of resistance training, such as lifting barbells, weight machines or exercises that require working against your own body weight twice a week.
"I can't think of a single fitness goal that wouldn't require resistance training," Todd says. A basic program would include eight to 10 different exercises using the major muscle groups of the legs, abs, arms, chest and shoulders. You should also try to perform 10 to 15 minutes of stretching at least twice a week.
Consider your goals
The specific program you choose depends on your goals. Do you want to run a 5K or do you want to lose weight?
"We encourage people to define concrete, specific, measurable goals -- in other words, something we can put on a chart," Todd says. "So many people tell me that they just want to look and feel better. ... (Instead) tell me you want to lose 5 pounds, or lose 2 percent of your body fat, or that you want to be able to do 50 pushups."
Make sure goals are realistic. For example, if you want to lose weight, a reasonable amount is 1 to 2 pounds per week. Anything more than this isn't recommended and anyway "is nearly impossible to exceed," Maki says. Just do the math: There are 3,500 calories in 1 pound of fat and, therefore, 7,000 calories in 2 pounds. Divide 7,000 calories by seven days and you're looking at expending 1,000 more calories each day than you are currently doing.
Start small
In the beginning, the key is to lay down a successful foundation. "If you promise yourself you're going to work out five days a week and you only work out two or three, you're not going to feel very successful," Todd says. "This is why I'd rather people commit to just 20 to 30 minutes two days a week at first."
If you've been very sedentary, two days a week is a great start. "You're going to see a benefit, but it's small enough, both on an exercise and on a commitment level, to be successful," Todd says. Once you've been consistent with this for about three weeks, you can think about adding more, whether it's an extra day or going for 30 to 40 minutes each time you workout, says Todd, noting it takes about 20 to 30 days to develop a new habit.
Do what you like, when you like
Love dancing? Take a salsa class. Hate being on a bike? Skip the spinning classes.
There is no best exercise, says Maki. The question is: What exercise would get you excited about coming back in the next day or two? "Each one of us would have different response. That is why there are many different kinds of workouts."
"A few years ago, everyone thought the stairclimber was the best workout," Todd says. "They thought that if they wanted a great body, they had to jump on the stairclimber. You burn the same calories on the bike or the Precor machine." The best workout in the world isn't going to work if you hate it. No matter what anyone says, or what the trendy workout is, the important thing is just to move -- and enjoy yourself.
You're also more likely to stick to exercise if there's variety in your program. If you're always on the elliptical or treadmill, try a yoga class for flexibility. Gyms offer a ton of classes -- try them. Your workout doesn't have to be the same old drudgery.
There is also no best time to workout, although Maki recommends exercising at the earliest possible time in the day so that you don't "accidentally get the rest of the day filled up with other things and then just don't get it in." The most important thing, however, is to exercise when you feel like it, not based on what works for other people, or what some experts may say is the ideal time.
Monitor your progress
Assess your fitness level at regular intervals -- about every three to six months. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise to continue improving. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you've struck just the right balance. Keep mixing things up and trying new workouts to keep your motivation high, or set new goals.
Anna Roufos is a Metro Detroit-based freelance writer.
 Donna Terek / The Detroit News Michele Bracy of Westland instructs a Powerflex class at Bally's Total Fitness in Southfield. Weight or resistance training is important because it builds muscle mass and increases metabolism. |