Cultivate a new reason for getting fit
If you have been in better shape before , it ’ s likely your life has moved on from the last time you cycled a hill route , or made it round an obstacle course in one piece , so it makes sense that this time round your motivation for getting fit again should also have changed . If you wanted to drop a dress size , scrap it – there are reasons it didn ’ t work before ; maybe there ’ s reasons to train that are more of a priority to you now than a set of pecs to be proud of . Perhaps it ’ s for your health , or just so you can keep up with your kids or grandkids ; whatever your reason , if you can think of a new one to get active again , it ’ ll likely motivate you in an entirely different way than before .
Work on flexibility and strength
Step one : try and touch your toes . Seriously . You might not win a medal for being able to get down there with ease , but it ’ s all to easy to overlook flexibility when it comes to building up your fitness , which , along with strength training , is as important a part of getting fit as how far you can walk , run , or ride . If you ’ ve never worked out , or haven ’ t worked out for a while , a good , supporting strength routine will up your flexibility and range of motion in no time . Factor a bit yoga or pilates into your fitness schedule and look up some quick online strengthening routines that focus on different parts of the body . A great place to start here is with Fitness Blender ’ s free stretching and flexibility workouts ( www . fitnessblender . com / videos ).
ASK THE EXPERT ... SARAH AYTON
DOUBLE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST , SARAH AYTON , HAILS FROM ASHFORD ; WE ASKED HER FOR SOME EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP THOSE THINKING ABOUT GETTING FIT .
Hi Sarah ! In your opinion , what ’ s the best exercise for someone who has never exercised , but who wants to get fit ?
The first thing is to find something you enjoy such as walking , cycling , swimming , dancing , tennis , golf , or something that your local gym has to offer in terms of group exercise classes and strength and conditioning programmes . There is no right or wrong ; most important of all is to enjoy the process and the ‘ feel good ’ factor that exercise gives you .
What about a regime ? Is it important to build up the amount of time you spend exercising when you ’ re first building your fitness ?
It is important you build your exercise programme up slowly and don ’ t go crazy in the first week leaving yourself exhausted and not wanting to exercise the following week . If you ’ ve not exercised before , or for a while , then expect to be a little tender in places after exercise – another reason why building up slowly is important ! Give your body a chance to recover and recharge .
The more exercise you do , the more your body gets used to it ; muscle soreness will no longer be an issue and you can increase the intensity and frequency . Design a realistic routine that fits around your week and considers how much time you have . Perhaps being a member of a gym would better give you the support you need , or maybe you ’ d enjoy doing something with your friends .
How important is it to find an exercise regime or sport that you enjoy when starting out in fitness ?
I ’ m a big fan of finding something you enjoy ; being fit has always been a huge part of my job , so variety and new challenges are what keep me motivated . Whatever your goal is , your journey needs to be fun , which will give you the confidence to try something new while increasing your heart rate and building a fitter , healthier you .
Lastly , what would be your advice to people who think they ’ re too old , overweight , or unfit to get fit ?
My advice is just to believe you can do it because you can ; use the support of your family and friends , and experts at your local gym too . For me , being fit is a vital ingredient to being happy - creating time for yourself to do something you enjoy has a really positive impact on your mind and body making you feel energised and motivated to continue becoming fitter , stronger and happier . Good luck !
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