You have accomplished the first step in health and fitness – You started. Now that you started, you have questions, lots of questions: Where do I start? What do I do? What’s enough, too much, not enough? How do I know I’m doing well? Wait no more, your answers are here. These are the answers to the top 15 exercise and fitness questions I get. Enjoy!
1. Why should I exercise?
Besides the fact that regular exercise Increases your life expectancy, it also improves your overall health. Many diseases and illness are simply taken care of with exercise and diet. Regular exercise decreases your chances of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and many other diseases. If that’s not reason enough, consider this. Regular exercise will increase your strength and increased your energy. It can decrease stress and depression. And, what most people want in the world can only be done with regular exercise – an increased metabolism to burn calories/fat! It is regular exercise that will get you tone and trim. So what’s your goal? What’s your reason? You may have more than one, but they are all important.
2. Who should exercise?
Just about anyone should and can start some type of fitness program on a regular basis, as long as there is no extreme limiting factor. The thin, the big, the underweight, the overweight, and the just perfect. They all should be working out regularly to gain, lose and maintain.
-Limiting factors may include but are not limited to:
-Heart trouble – see your cardiologist for release
-High and low blood pressure – see cardiologist for release
-Dizziness – see neurologist for release
-Past physical injury/pain/weakness/discomfort that is constant or recurring – see a well trained chiropractor, sports injury specialists or sports doctor
3. How much exercise should I get a day?
The goal is to start 30 min. 3 times a week, then 30 min – 60 min. 4-6 times a week. 30 – 60 min. a day of activity is the overall recommended amount. A little a day always helps, even if you only have time to do 50 jumping jacks and a few push-ups, do what you can.
4. How do I prevent injury?
Take it slow, and learn about the type of exercise you are doing in the beginning. When you start a new exercise, it is more important to learn the exercise than it is to lift as much as you can or do as many reps as you can. After you learn the move and technique, you are sure you won’t injury yourself, and then you should increase the time, intensity and resistance gradually over time.
A warm-up and cool-down are essential in injury prevention. Stretch before and after you exercise. If you have a previous injury, make sure you have it looked at before you put it to the test.
Lastly, don’t ignore your body; if something is too hard reducing the time or intensity. Don’t be a tuff guy, it will get you nowhere but the doctor’s office.
5. Will I get big if I do resistance training? (Women)
Women ask me this question all the time. Women can do resistance training 6 days a week and not get “masculine.” You must eat/take in a lot of calories and lift a certain amount of weight in a certain way to gain that much muscle. If that doesn’t convince you, maybe this will. Women have 10-30 times less hormones that increase muscle mass and size. Some women are genetically inclined to gain muscle rapidly, but I am confident that if you are doing the proper exercises and lifting techniques, you will not gain too much muscle.
Keep in mind that you want to gain muscle mass; you just want to keep it tone. There are many benefits of women doing resistance training. It increases your metabolism and decreases body fat. You are gaining strength without getting “big.” Lifting weights is important in the prevention of and decrease in osteoporosis risks. With strong muscles you will decrease the risk of injury in your everyday life. Other health benefits include a decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke and the Increase in energy. With your new body, strength and injury there will be no room for stress and depression!
Dr Tonya Ingalls, D.C.
Tags: exercise, exercises, fitness, Fitness Tips, How to Workout, Injury Prevention, Inspiration, motivation, reaching goals, workout, workouts
Categories : How to Workout
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