Congrats! You made the decision to start working out! You’re excited to put on muscle, get healthy, and maybe even lose some weight in the process. No matter what exercise you pick, it’s important to ease into it. A key priority when starting out is avoiding injury due to overexertion. At Orthopedic Specialty Institute, our staff wants you to remain injury free as you get to the gym. As always, consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program. You can also follow these tips to keep you on track and healthy.
Remember Your Why
There’s always an underlying reason for deciding to work out. Whether you’re driven by a new medical diagnosis, a desire to live a healthier lifestyle or unhappiness with the way you look and feel, it’s important that you make a plan that you can commit to. Keep that motivation in mind on days when you don’t feel up to the task of working out. This will help you keep going and stick to a routine.
Set Goals
While it’s great to have a long-term goal such as participating in a 10K, it’s more important to set short-term, easily attainable goals and work your way up. Accomplishing short-term goals keeps you motivated. For example, a beginning goal could be jogging .5 miles by the end of your first week, 1 mile by the end of your second week, and gradually work up to your goal distance. Whatever you choose as your exercise type, be realistic in goal setting.
Warm-Up
It’s super important to warm up before getting into your workout. Learn about static and dynamic stretching and what’s best for your workout goals. In most cases, it can be a combination of the two. Prepping your body correctly to dive into a workout warms up your muscles and helps you avoid injury.
Regulate
After a warm-up, start your exercise slowly and build your intensity slowly. The ideal beginning workout is one where you can maintain a consistent level of exercise for 5-10 minutes without overexertion. This builds stamina when you’re starting out. You will be able to exercise for 30-60 minutes per session as your stamina increases. Don’t rush your body to achieve a longer exercise time.
Listen to Your Body
The “No pain, no gain” mindset does more harm than good. When you feel your body is tiring, listen to it. Forcing yourself to push through increases the chances of injury. Know the warning signs of overexertion. If you feel shortness of breath, pain, nausea or dizziness, stop exercising. Your body is telling you it’s time to rest. You won’t sacrifice the gains you’ve made by resting. Give yourself permission to take a day or two off to heal before getting back to it.
Track Your Non-Scale Victories
Monitor your progress, and look for progress independent of your weight. Your weight is a number on a scale. If fat loss is your goal, observe how your clothes fit. If you want to run a half marathon, celebrate being able to run longer at a certain speed or hitting a personal best on your mile time. If you’re lifting weights, track your one-rep max lifts and see how those weights feel lighter over time.
Whether you’re starting a new workout program or you’re getting back into it post-injury, you can find support from the Orthopedic Specialty Institute. We get that even the best athletes can get sidelined by an injury. If that’s you, call us at 954-866-9699; same-day appointments are now available.