Spring Into SpringSpring Into Spring
It's time to come out of hibernation. If you're ready to get moving again, remember to go easy at first. Here's how to spring into spring in six easy steps.
While your mind might be ready to resume an active lifestyle your body likely isn't. If you rush into an aerobic or sporting activity you run the risk of straining a muscle or pulling a tendon and putting yourself back on the sidelines for who knows how long. With this in mind here are six ways to spring into spring without hurting yourself in the process.
- Start slow and stretch - Be sure you take it slow to start off with. Your body will need time to readjust to an active lifestyle. You can start with low-intensity exercise over a short period of time and then build your stamina up from there by either increasing your intensity or the length of time you exercise. And always remember to stretch before and after you exercise. It's the best way to avoid injury and increase your flexibility. Before you know it you'll be sprinting across the tennis court to reach that long volley.
- Set manageable goals - There's nothing worse than setting a lofty goal at the start of a program only to realize that it's going to take a very long time to get there. This will only leave you discouraged and tempted to quit. To keep from falling into this trap set manageable short-term goals that you can easily update once you achieve them. If you're just starting out set a goal of walking for 30 minutes perhaps three days a week. Once you can do that comfortably you can begin to build on your success.
- Stay motivated - Because you're starting out slowly you may find it discouraging not to see results right away. It takes time to strengthen muscles and lose weight. To stay motivated you might want to find a workout buddy - whether it's someone who goes to the same gym as you or a co-worker you can take walks with at lunch or just a friend who has the same fitness goals. You'll be doing each other a favour. Music is also a good motivator and with the price of personal stereos (MP3 players Walkmans etc) steadily dropping it's becoming easier to keep the tunes pumping along with your legs. You should also avoid obsessing over your weight. Forget the scale. You'll know when you've lost those extra pounds. Your clothes will feel looser and you'll feel energized. Don't forget to reward yourself with a good book or CD or lunch out with friends.
- Dress in layers - Whatever you do outside you'll likely feel cool when you first start moving but things will quickly heat up depending on how hard you're working at it. Dress in layers that you can easily peel off when you get warm and put back on when you're cooling down. Weather conditions are known to change abruptly in the spring so make sure you're prepared for any eventuality.
- Get the kids involved - Childhood obesity is at epidemic levels. Set a good example for your children by taking them out with you. Show them the joys of physical activities and sports. Most cities have recreation programs offering lessons clinics and teams from soccer to baseball to golf. Learn along with your child. Or get your bike out of storage and in for a tune-up and join them on a ride around the neighbourhood. Don't forget the helmet!
- Moving from the gym to the outdoors - Even if you've been active during the winter at your local gym you'll want to take it easy when you start moving your activities out of doors. If you've been jogging on a treadmill all winter the change will be welcome but the terrain and environment will be substantially different so you'll want to make sure you don't push yourself too far too fast. If you've been taking cardio classes during the past few months and want to get back on the tennis court keep in mind that you'll be using different muscles in different ways so make sure you stretch and slowly build your game.
Written by Webmaster
Sunday, 10 May 2009 00:00
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