The Simple Way to Get in Shape

If you’ve been searching for information to help you get (and stay) in shape, you may have found it confusing and even frustrating…

There is a lot of contradicting or misleading information, so many kinds of fitness programs, exercise techniques, gadgets and tools that you don’t know where to start and what’s right for you.

Don’t use it as an excuse for not exercising

I am not a qualified expert, but from my personal knowledge and experience I can tell you that a lot of the health and fitness information out there is useless to you.

You see, unless you’re planning on winning the next national marathon or run to the Olympics, keeping good shape is actually quite simple…

If you are the ‘average person’ who simply wants to feel and look healthy, avoid excessive weight gain and be able to do simple physical activities, like climbing stairs or playing with your dog without loosing your breath…

Then you don’t need to be a fitness expert. You don’t even need a gym subscription. (Assuming you are a healthy adult…) All you need to do is:

(NOTE: To cover my back I must say that you should consult a doctor before starting any exercise program).

1. Move your body – get enough physical workout on an (almost) daily basis and…

2. Gradually increase the frequency and intensity of your workouts.

But you may be asking…

What Kind of Exercise Should I Do?

Generally – if it makes you sweat – it’s exercise…

You can walk or cycle in nature, climb rocks, ski, rollerblade, swim or play ball, you can even dance or maw your lawn…

…even housework or carrying groceries from the car to your home can count as exercise…

You can even stay in shape without leaving the comfort of your home. Here’s a book that will show you how to get fit while you sit »

Of course, if your goal is to build some muscle, you should include some resistance training. No need to overcomplicate things, though. You can do great with just a few exercises and minimal equipment. In fact, you can do great with body-weight exercises only (push-ups, pull-ups, squats and so on).

If you can’t find time to work out, do whatever you can to add more physical activity to your day – for example: instead of spending five minutes looking for the closest parking space to your workplace, park far away and WALK. Then take the stairs, instead of the elevator.

How Often Should I Workout? How Intense?

As a general rule you should get at least 30 minutes of exercise, most days of the week.

You can do it all at once or throughout the day – for example: You can jog for 10 minutes in the morning, walk for 15 minutes in the afternoon and do some push-ups for 5 minutes in the evening.

If you’re just starting out (or back from a long break), be sure to start small. If you start off too hard, you may loose interest pretty quickly or even and up with injury.

Raise the bar gradually – you can exercise more, harder or longer. It would most likely happen naturally anyway. Make sure you don’t over do it, though. Listen to your body, and if needed – slow down or take a break.

For example: If your workout is walking and you’re in really bad shape, you should start off by walking 10-15 minutes, 3-4 time a week. Then, increase it by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. After 6 weeks you should be walking 30-40 minutes, 4-5 times a week.

How to Stay Motivated to Exercise

If you want to reap the benefits of fitness, you have to be consistent.

Do yourself a favor and don’t be like the millions of people who start a fitness program every year in order to loose some weight, for example, but soon go back to their old habits and gain the weight back again…

A few ways to help you stick with your ‘exercise program’ are:

1. Have FUN – choosing activities that you enjoy doing is the best way to keep yourself motivated to workout regularly. At least focus on the fun part, see it as a hobby, not a chore.

2. Diversify – do different activities, go to different places, change partners, walk different routes, even listen to different music while exercising – whatever you can do to make it more interesting and enjoyable.

3. Don’t wait for results – getting in shape is a process, and keeping good shape is a life long habit, a LIFESTYLE. Make fitness part of your life, do it because that’s the way you want to live. The results will come as a byproduct.

Lastly, a little reminder: if you want to stay in good shape, exercise is important, but not enough on its own. You also have to take good care of your body, which means mainly keeping healthy sleeping habits and getting proper nutrition.

That’s about it. Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll be on the right track to health and fitness…

Enjoy!