Listen to Your Body
Q and A with Trainer Chris Powell
When you finally decide to start a new workout program, it's hard to tell when enough is enough. Here's what Chris has to say.
First, I recommend you consult your physician before beginning any exercise. Once you get the approval, you should always start out extremely light and then progress to more strenuous exercise once you feel ready. You will always hear me say, "Listen to your body - it will tell you the truth!" You will know when you are ready to progress to more strenuous exercise based on you body’s response to the current exercise. If it’s too easy, it's time to challenge yourself more. But don’t push it! If your body is not ready to push itself further, then stay at your current level – you are already doing your body a world of good by just moving and getting the blood flowing and stimulating the muscles!
For cardiovascular exercise, walking is one of the best forms of exercise to condition your body if you haven’t worked out in a while. The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) recommends about 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise (walking) daily, to drastically improve cardiovascular health. You can always progress up to a brisk walk or a light jog eventually. You don’t have to go for the whole 30 minutes the first day! Start out with a goal of only about 10 minutes and eventually work up to the full 30. Trust me, it won’t take long! If at any time you begin to feel light headed, exhausted, or winded, STOP! Listen to your body. Great job for the day and try to aim for just a little longer next time.
For resistance training (weight training, yoga, pilates, core conditioning), start out light! One of the best ways to start out training is with a class or trainer. Another less expensive option is one of the many exercise DVDs and videos for beginners. They are relatively inexpensive (around $10 - $20) and have a good structured format that you can follow to become comfortable with the way that your body responds to resistance training.
Do you have a question for Chris?
Send us an email and Chris will answer some of your questions each week.
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