Steps to personalize and invigorate an exercise program
Workout programs vary as dramatically as those who participate in them, said Kristine Clark, a graduate student of the Health and Physical Education department at Utah State University.
The way an individual works out depends on his or her goal, time commitment, age and health and, of course, preferences, Clark said.
The United States Surgeon General recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. How this is accomplished is up to the individual, said Ed Heath, USU Health and Physical Education professor.
“Many people don’t adhere to the stereotypical idea of working out early every morning,” Heath said. “When you talk about exercise, you have to find a way to incorporate it into your lifestyle.”
Finding room for a workout in the schedule of a busy student doesn’t necessarily involve a daily trip to the weight room, either, Heath said.
“Biking and walking for transportation, taking the stairs instead of the elevator – all of this contributes to the 30 minute workout,” Heath said.
Just walking at least 10 minutes can still give health benefits, Clark said.
“You can do things like park farther away from the door at the grocery store,” Clark said. “It always makes me laugh when people fight over the closest parking spot at a sports club.”
One of the most important aspects of a workout is the person is enjoying it, agreed Heath and Clark.
“If you don’t enjoy an activity, there’s not much hope of continuing it,” Heath said.
There are different ways to make sure a workout is enjoyable, Clark said. Every person has to find what works for him or her individually.
“Buddy up. It’s more fun when you find other people who want to do the same activity,” Clark said. “You rely on one another to keep motivated.”
A lot of people find that taking an exercise class with friends helps motivate them to keep with it, Clark said.
Another way of keeping working out fun is to incorporate variety into the routine, Clark said.
“People get excited and buy exercise videos, but get burned out because they’re doing the same thing over and over,” Clark said.
Changing the routine can be as simple as running on a different trail each time, or alternating aerobic activity and weight lifting, Clark said.
Having proper equipment, especially shoes, is also a good way to keep a workout fun and injury-free, Clark said.
“Good shoes are expensive, but they’re worth it,” Clark said.
Finally, when the workout starts to work, a better way of measuring progress than the scale is watching clothes fit differently as muscle starts to tone up, Clark said.
Muscle “holds everything in tighter,” Clark said. “That’s why it looks nice.”