Its’ advisable to do some stretching when you start exercising. Think or your muscles like plastic party knives. During cold or rainy weather, they’ll snap. During hot or warm weather, they’ll bend. The older you are, the more important it is to warm up and stretch before engaging in any sustained exercise. One former triathlete ruptured two disks while training for a race, simply because he did not do some stretching first.
If you don’t feel like working up a little stretching routines, here are some tips:
Maintain a daily stretch session, even if it only lasts a few minutes.
Warm up your muscles by walking around before you stretch.
Don’t rush, just do each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. The longer, the better.
Don’t bounce when you stretch because that can cause muscle injury.
If you wan to stretch your legs and lower back, do so after exercising.
Stick to your exercise
You can only see the results of your exercise if you push through with it. Motivation is the key to sustained workout. There are three good way you can sustain yourself when you fell tempted to give up:
Monitor your progress – One reason why many people lose interest in exercising in simply because, in this age of instant gratification, the process is slow and progress occurs in small increments. Although you may not see the immediate results, if you keep track of your process in a journal, you’ll be able to see the long-term results.
Create a buddy system – Individuals who exercise with another person stay with a program longer that if they exercise alone. That’s a proven fact. You also have somebody to compare results with, and when you’re not like doing it, there’s someone to get you going.
Get a personal trainer – This applies to sustained exercise such as gym workouts and specialized sports, if you happen to be in it. This might be stretching your budget, but a personal trainer really helps because it’s exactly his or her job to personally supervise your progress.
Try taking the stairs test. This will show how determined you are in committing yourself to your planned fitness program. Climb up a staircase with at least ten steps, the go down, the go up again. If you enjoy what you’re doing despite the gaps in your breath, then congratulations, you can be successful in you plan.
The time to start exercising is now. The more you put it off, the harder it will be for you to start. Also, the older you get, the less effective your chances of reaping the benefits of constant exercising. So get up and start running!
Make exercising a lifelong habit. You’ll do it more often, and once you get into the habit you’ll find it a real complement to your life. Schedule your exercise and track your progress, and you’ll soon be blessed with better health, youthful energy, and a sense of well-being that will keep you happy for a lifetime.