Preparing To Become Physically Fit

You're ready to move from considering a fitness program to doing something about it. You've thought about the advantages and pictured yourself as successful. Now it's time to learn and practice the skills that make exercise a habit.

When you complete the activities in this stage, continue on to the next. Or return to The New You any time to work on this or another health area.

Take Action! Forms
Personal Action Plan
Healthy Eating and Exercise Log

Making the Most of Your Decision to Exercise

This information will help you learn and practice the skills you need to get and stay fit. It's an easy-to-use guide to a lifetime of physical fitness. As you work your way through the activities, keep these points in mind:

• Changing habits takes time. For a health behavior to become routine, you must practice it regularly over time.
• Changing habits requires support. It's not impossible to stick to an exercise plan without help from others, but it's much easier if you have the support of family and friends.
• A slip is just a slip. You're striving for long-term success, so focus on your overall activity patterns and don't dwell on occasional slips.

3 Keys to Success

You'll benefit most if you commit to:

• Print this information and keep it where you'll see it every day for the next 30 days
• Complete each activity
• Review your personal action plan and record your progress daily

Benefits of Being Active

Becoming physically fit brings numerous advantages, such as:

• Feeling better
• Living longer
• Losing weight
• Sleeping better
• Reducing stress
• Increasing energy.

With any behavior change, however, there are adjustments to make in your normal routine. Some are easy, while others may be more challenging. To help prepare for these adjustments, complete the following statements:

I expect to benefit from exercising in these ways:

 

 

 

I expect to make the following changes to get fit:




Components of a Fitness Program

A good fitness program includes 3 elements:

• Aerobic activity - exercises that increase your heart rate through nonstop activity. Fast walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and roller skating are aerobic because they involve large muscle groups and can be performed for 20 minutes or more. For maximum benefit do aerobic exercise 20-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week. Be sure to warm up slowly before your activity and cool down afterward for at least 5-10 minutes.
• Muscular strength - activities that use resistance to improve muscle tone and power. Abdominal crunches, push-ups, and weight lifting can strengthen and condition your muscles. Strength exercises should be performed on alternating days 2-3 times a week.
• Flexibility - stretching exercises that enable your joints to move through a full range of motion. Stretch after your body is warmed up and breathe naturally while you stretch. Hold each stretch comfortably for 30 seconds and never bounce

Before Getting Started

Most people have no problems beginning a fitness program. You may experience tired or sore muscles until you get in better shape, and that's to be expected. Just be careful not to exercise through pain.

Check with your doctor before starting your program, especially if you have any of the following conditions:

• Heart trouble
• Pain, tightness, or uncomfortable feelings in your heart or chest
• High blood pressure
• Bone or joint problems that might be made worse with exercise
• Diabetes, asthma, or bronchitis.

None of these conditions needs to stop you from exercising, but you may need a custom fitness program developed in partnership with your doctor.

What Time of Day Is Best for You?

The best time of day to exercise is the one that's easiest and most convenient for you. If you're undecided, consider how your body's energy level fluctuates throughout the day.

• Morning. You can complete your workout first thing and have a sense of accomplishment to carry you through the day.
• Lunch time. Your body's natural rhythm slows down in the afternoon. Exercising in the middle of the day can help prevent that energy lull.
• Evening. In the late afternoon and early evening your lungs are more open, and your muscle strength and flexibility peak. But if your daily workload is taxing you may feel too drained to exercise.

Tools You'll Need

• Notebook or calendar to record workouts
• Comfortable exercise clothes
• Good walking/workout shoes
• Other __________________________

Make it Your Own

Many things in life are out of your control but fitness isn't one of those. Exercise is something you control and do solely for you. It's your workout and your rules. Select activities you enjoy most — bike, hike, walk, run — anything you find interesting and entertaining. Whatever you choose, be consistent so you develop the habit. And leave no room for excuses; keep your workout gear handy and ready to go to the gym for an aerobics class or out the door for a walk.

Arm Yourself With Information

Cultivate a healthy mindset by reading current health newsletters, books, magazines, and other publications. Look for community resources and professionals who may be able to help you learn more about exercise and the process of behavior change. Enriching your knowledge and understanding about physical activity is an excellent way to stay on the successful path to fitness.

Putting Your Plan in Motion

Now it's time to make your commitment. In a moment you'll write specific exercise goals. But first, take these small but very important steps to seal your commitment.

• Set a start date. Your decision to be physically active is a journey. And like every journey it starts at a single point in time. Select a date in the next 30 days to begin. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, the new year, a significant day at work or school... all are good. If you're truly ready, pick a day soon — to take advantage of the momentum from your decision. Use the space on your personal action plan to record your start date and your reason for choosing it.
• Tell everyone you know. If you're truly committed, you're ready to go public. And while it can cause some anxiety, it shows you're confident about your plan. Telling the world also reinforces your commitment to yourself. And those who care about you can be a great source of encouragement and support. Use your personal action plan to record the names of all you'll tell. Then place a check mark by their name after they know about your plan.
• Establish priorities. Let's face it, this isn't easy. If it was, you would have begun long ago. But you've decided fitness is important to you. Now you need to give it the time and attention it deserves. That may mean stopping some things you're doing or putting them off until exercise becomes a habit. Outline on your personal action plan how you'll make exercising a higher priority in your life.

In addition, try these steps to help you become more active now:

• Instead of talking on the phone with a friend — take a walk together and chat
• Make television time active time — ride a stationary bicycle, lift weights, or stretch as you watch
• Take walking breaks instead of coffee breaks
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park in the back row of a parking lot and walk a little farther
• Make a date with your spouse or friend to do something active.

5 Ways to Forget You're Exercising

• To achieve long-term success, experiment with new activities, sports, or gear. Here are 5 ways to add variety to your program and forget you're exercising.
• Play sports or join a league — being part of a team offers friendly competition and enhances commitment.
• Go dancing — dancing is a healthy social activity whether you enjoy country, pop, or classical music.
• Go biking — spinning along through the neighborhood or countryside is a great way to see the sights and get your heart beating.
• Dig in the garden — gardening offers plenty of opportunities to bend, pull, and push using a variety of tools and muscle groups.
• Join a class — discover the camaraderie of exercising with others.

SMART Goals Provide Direction, Motivation

A map of where you want to go is the only way to ensure you'll get there. Well written goals are your map to success for personal objectives like being fit. But a goal is just a wish if it isn't SMART:

• Specific. Be precise. Write down exactly what you expect to achieve.
• Measurable. Include amounts, times, days, and other milestones for gauging success.
• Achievable. Set your sights on an attainable goal, yet one that causes you to stretch, to go beyond what you're doing today.
• Relevant. Although it's nice for your spouse, kids, boss, parents, and friends to want you to be successful, your goal should matter to you, first and foremost.
• Trackable. Successful behavior change doesn't happen in a fell swoop — it takes time. Record your progress over days or weeks to see how much you've achieved.

Some examples of SMART goals:

"On Sunday, October 7, I will purchase a new pair of exercise shoes."

"I will plan my weekly exercise routine on Saturday and mark the days and times on my calendar."

And in This Corner...

Supportive relationships are important in every stage of the behavior change process. Seek someone to be in your corner — a nonjudgmental, positive-minded believer in you. Someone working toward similar goals can provide great support, too. Once you've identified friends or family members to support you, list 2 or more things they can do to help.

30 Ways to an Active Lifestyle in the Next 30 Days

• Schedule a regular time throughout the week for physical activity
• Start a log of daily fitness activities for each family member
• Choose fitness-oriented gifts with the recipient's skills and interests in mind
• Limit time watching TV/videos and playing computer games
• Spend as much time outdoors as possible
• Volunteer to help with physical activity events at neighborhood schools
• Always use the stairs
• Walk, jog, or skip instead of driving
• Get off the bus a few stops early and walk
• Highlight, on a city map, free and low-cost physical activity areas near your home (park, bike trail, hiking trail, tennis court, swimming pool, etc.)
• Take a long walk or jog on the beach/by the lake or creek
• Visit outdoor education centers
• Take a nature hike
• Plan cycling trips on safe trails by calling your local bike shop or bike club
• Jump rope — practice rhythms, rhymes, and tricks
• Play a "hot potato" game of Frisbee
• Serve from where the birdie drops for an action-packed game of badminton
• Take your pet for a walk or jog
• Play traditional and modified backyard sports: basketball, softball, volleyball, and tetherball
• Practice on in-line skates (with knee, wrist, and elbow pads and helmet); go farther and get faster each day
• Enjoy a weekend afternoon of physical activities at a local community center
• Enter and walk in holiday parades, ethnic festivals, and charity fund raisers
• Walk or bike to nearby playgrounds — challenge family members to try their skills swinging or crossing a horizontal ladder
• Take a historical (or architectural) walking or cycling tour
• Adopt a highway, park, or beach and keep it clean
• Enter a fun run or a bike-a-thon
• Participate in a mixed-age martial arts or dance class
• Create a family video of exercise routines
• Use a bench or steps for a step-aerobic workout
• Organize a family or neighborhood racquetball tournament

Continue to Stage 4>