Have you decided to get up off the couch and do something
about your bulging midriff? Before you rush out to the
nearest gym, you need to follow a few guidelines else you
may find yourself back on the couch.

See a doctor

If you haven't exercised in a while, you need to go to your
doctor to see if there are any health concerns that may
hinder the program that you are considering. Get a clean
bill of health and the blessing of your family doctor with a
well-rounded physical.

Too much too soon

Your Doctor's guidance will help you set the pace of your
exercise routine in the beginning. But do ease into it,
tempting as it is to launch into it full steam, because you
want to see the effects fast by doing it better.

If you haven't exercised in a while, you should begin with
just a few minutes a day. What works great is walking for
a while, stopping when you're tired and then going out and
trying to walk a little farther the next day. Don't feel
ashamed that you can only walk five minutes at first; it's
more than you have been doing.

You shouldn't try and do much too soon because you can end
up injuring yourself, put yourself flat on your back with no
exercise again. Easing into a fitness routine allows your
body to adapt to your new routine, making it easier for you
to carry out your daily fitness program consistently.

Warming up

A light warm up before you start helps to minimize aches,
and reduces the risk of injury. There is no need to get into
a complex warm-up routine. You can keep it simple, starting
with a walk; or do some jumping jacks and some simple
stretches.

Vary your routine

If you're starting an exercise program, try to find a number
of things that you would like to do over the course of the
week. When you change the exercise occasionally, you're not
going to get bored and your body won't become accustomed to
the routine.

You may enjoy doing certain exercise programs by yourself or
you can join a class or gym and exercise in the company of
other people.

Find a friend

Find a friend with whom you can exercise. You will be much
more disciplined and dedicated to an exercise program if you
know someone else is depending on you to be there.

Ask your spouse, friend or anyone you know who is interested
in getting fit and healthy as well. But remember to make
sure they are at par with your level of fitness.


Mark Clastentine operates the website and is a writer for
Fitness Demon, inc., which a site dedicated to researching fitness
related topics and contains all the very latest fitness news and
views. For more details please visit http://www.fitnessdemon.com

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