If you’re considering starting a workout routine and have reached this blog for some advice, congratulations! If you’ve recently joined Future Fitness and want to be sure you have every advantage in keeping your commitment to a healthy lifestyle, here are five simple tips:
1. Consult a fitness professional – Have a professional assessment to determine what types of exercise will be most beneficial. You may learn that following a program based on aerobics or resistance training will get you where you want to go. You’ll also learn the areas in which you need the most attention, and how to avoid injury.
Future Fitness provides free sessions with a personal trainer, plus the industry’s leading instructors for all classes and programs. You can begin your program with complete confidence that you’ll enjoy the maximum benefits – as long as you follow the subsequent tips!
2. Follow an effective exercise routine – The American Council on Exercise (ACE) surveyed 1,000 ACE-certified personal trainers about the best techniques to get fit. They recommended a combination of strength training to help tone the entire body, interval training and cardio/aerobic exercise.
3. Choose a fitness regime you enjoy – Don’t take up a program that you’ll approach like a chore, or a fad workout that’s getting all the media buzz (unless you find that it really is a good program for you, and not just the celebrity who made it famous). For example, spinning may appeal more to you than walking on a treadmill (or vice versa).
Future Fitness members have an advantage in being able to take free demos of classes and programs, and in discussing the range of activities they like with instructors who can recommend the appropriate exercises.
4. Set realistic goals and be patient – If you’ve been a long-term couch potato, don’t expect to see a new slimmer, toned and ripped “you” in a few weeks. Trying to do too much too soon sets you up for injury and/or a lot of frustration. Either way, you’re more likely to give up.
Also, don’t strive for perfection or a goal that’s improbable based upon your physical limitations (which we all have). Talk with your instructor or trainer about your fitness goals, and the process involved in reaching them.
5. Be consistent – Achieving physical fitness is a process, and progress is made in increments. Schedule a regular time (at least three times weekly) for your workout. No matter how good your program, you won’t get results unless you do it consistently.