Rather than looking back on where you’ve been with fitness, focus on where you’re going. Why not make it your goal to be in better shape by Memorial Day? That’s months away, but now’s the time to start an exercise program that can help you look and feel better by summer. Good news: Your goal lies far enough in the future that your routine won’t have to be too strenuous.
Here’s a program for the coming weeks.
Build your base
If you haven’t been exercising at all or consistently, don’t spring into a fitness program. To avoid injury, work up to more challenging activities to condition your muscles, joints, ligaments, and other tissues. Consider seeing your doctor to make sure you’re up for the task—especially if you have a chronic condition, such as heart disease, arthritis, or diabetes.
The federal government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that all of us aim for 150 minutes a week of moderately intense aerobic activity. It’s not hard to meet that benchmark, which is a realistic goal for the first two weeks of spring training if you haven’t been doing much this winter. Three 10-minute walks a day, five days a week, will get you there.
Start by walking at a comfortable pace, then go faster and longer each day. If you’ve been exercising regularly but inconsistently, you might begin by walking, then add intervals of running. Upping the intensity can shorten your exercise sessions. According to the federal guidelines, 75 weekly minutes of running is equivalent to 150 minutes weekly of brisk walking.
Focus on the motivating feeling of well-being that can make fitness addictive. The more consistent you are, the more you’ll miss exercising when you don’t do it.
Then push yourself
Once you have a fitness foundation after a week or two, you can start doing more. To get in even better shape and reduce your chronic disease risk, federal guidelines suggest that you do 300 minutes a week of moderately intense aerobic activity (an hour a day, five days a week). You can substitute 150 minutes of vigorously intense aerobic activity, like running or swimming laps.
Try fitting in two or more days a week of strength training, whether it’s lifting weights, using resistance bands, or hefting rocks in the garden. Weight-bearing exercise increases muscle mass and bone density to help prevent bone-weakening osteoporosis.
Ease up if your muscles feel increasingly sore or you experience other warning signs of injury, including joint pain, excessive fatigue, or just not being able to do what you set out to do.
Cut calories too
If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll need to eat fewer calories. Burning calories through physical activity and decreasing your calorie intake is the best prescription for weight loss.
Slow and steady wins this race. To drop a pound a week, which equals 3,500 calories, you’ll need to burn 500 more calories a day than you take in. You can do that by walking briskly for 30 minutes, which will use around 230 calories, and cutting your calorie intake by 270, roughly equal to skipping an 8-ounce regular Coca-Cola and 20 Wheat Thins.
Do you need more incentive to work out and eat healthier than the fact that summer is coming? Sign up for a Memorial Day run or walk. Training for an event gives you a greater sense of purpose that can provide accountability and keep you on track.