To help you reach your fitness goals effectively, your exercise workouts should be carefully tuned to your personal needs and preferences. Following along on a workout video or taking a routine from the Internet are good starts, but you can get a lot more out of your workouts if you plan them yourself.
Assess your current fitness level
When you start out planning your exercise workouts, it’s critical not to misjudge your current level of fitness. Just because you “feel fine” doesn’t mean your heart and lungs are really in great shape. What’s worse, jumping into a routine you’re not ready for will leave you sore and exhausted, which isn’t exactly motivating. You’re a lot more likely to quite that way than if you work up slowly. Like the ads always say, consult a doctor or trainer before you start any serious exercise routine to make sure you’re really up for it.
Consider any health concerns
If you’ve ever had a serious injury such as broken bone, dislocated joint, or torn muscles or ligaments, you’ll want to consider those when you choose which exercises to do. Chronic problems such as asthma or trouble with balance should also be taken into account. Choosing the right exercises and taking proper precautions (knee braces, etc.) will make sure you don’t worsen existing health problems.
Set your goals
Once you’ve taken stock of where you are, you can move on to planning where you’d like to be. Choose your final goals and work backwards to plan specific steps you need to take to reach those goals. For instance, if you’re aiming to gain muscle weight, you’ll want to plan out how you’re going to progressively increase the amount of weight you lift. Be careful with timelines, though, because you can’t force your body to get into shape any faster than nature will allow.
Take your interests into account
Let’s be honest, if your exercise workouts bore you silly, you’re not likely to stick with them. When you’re planning your workouts, keep your preferences in mind. If you find you’d rather be reading or watching TV, consider getting a stationary bike, stairclimber, or other machine that will let you do that. If you like spending time in nature, though, jogging in the park would be a better option.
When you plan your own exercise workouts, you’ll be able to choose exactly those exercises that fit the level your at now and help you meet your goals for the future. Still, planning an effective exercise routine requires some specialized knowledge, so once you have your basic routine planned, try to have a trainer or other fitness pro check it over to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
