The new year brings a new chance to rework your fitness routine. Too often, we look at what others are doing as rules for ourselves. The best way to create a successful fitness routine is by building a routine around your life and what you enjoy.

It requires taking a personal approach, fitting it into your schedule, setting achievable goals, tracking your progress, and rewarding your efforts. Once in place, a customized fitness routine will serve you well this year and for many years to come. You can do this!

Your Fitness Level

It helps to know how fit you are and it’s OK if you’re not as fit as you thought. Take some measurements before starting an exercise regimen so you can track your progress. Things to record include:

• Your pulse after walking 30 minutes
• The distance you can walk in 30 minutes
• How many standard or modified pushups you can do at a time
• How far forward you can reach while seated on the floor with your legs in front of you
• The circumference of your waist just above your hipbones

Have Health Issues?

You should talk to your doctor before you start exercising if you’re over age 50 or have chronic health issues. You want to be especially careful with heart conditions, balance issues, and muscle weakness.

You can still exercise of course. You should just consult with your physician about the proper exercises to do, how frequently, and for how long.

Keep Your Routine Well-Rounded

There are so many great ways to stay active. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Better yet, mixing up your physical activity between endurance and strength/balance exercises will lead to a bigger variety of health benefits.

Here are some common endurance exercises to try:

• A brisk walk
• Running or jogging
• Swimming laps
• Riding a bike
• Climbing stairs
• Zumba
• Sports such as soccer or basketball

Combine these workouts with strength and balancing training such as:

• Lifting weights
• Weight machine training
• Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, lunges, or squats
• Jumping rope
• Sprinting
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Pilates

No matter what kind of workouts you enjoy, it’s important to find the right balance for your body. Tired from a long walk or run? Switch things up the next day with a yoga routine or free weights. Remember to give yourself rest days, too.

Sticking with the Program

Exercise should become a habit for each of us. We eat, sleep, shower, and we should exercise. So, don’t think about exercising in terms of dropping weight for that high school reunion, or to get ready for swimsuit season. Think about it as part of your life:

• Make it personal — Think about what you like to do, the time you have, and your physical condition. You want to be able to sustain your workout, especially if you plan to go from sedentary to active.
• Make it fit — Don’t be afraid to schedule time to exercise. Work and family obligations are important, but so are you. You make a schedule for those other commitments. It’s time to commit to yourself. Give yourself some grace to adjust until you are an expert at your new routine.
• Set goals — These goals should be realistic. Don’t expect to run a mile on your first day of exercising. Build up to it over several weeks, or maybe even months. Walking is a great start. You don’t even have to walk every day. You just have to get used to moving.
• Track progress — Record how long you walk, how far you go, and how long it takes to travel that distance. You can measure all sorts of things. Keep a written record. You will be amazed at your progress, and it will serve to motivate you toward other goals.
• Reward your efforts — Celebrate those victories. Don’t do it with treats you may regret. Download a book to listen to on your walk. Get yourself a new water bottle or pair of exercise shoes. Do something to reward your hard work.

Helping You Get Started

AltaMed is focused on your overall wellness and can help you get started on a fitness routine that works for you. Talk to your AltaMed physician if you want recommendations on where to begin, or to help you create the routine that’s best for you.

Call AltaMed at (877) 462-2582 to get stared with us today.