It’s been said a thousand times: regular exercise is critical to maintaining your overall health. Simply eating fresh food and taking the necessary supplements for your body is not enough to keep yourself in the best possible health condition. You also need to exert yourself physically, whether it is in the form of strength-training, cardiovascular activities, or other things which will improve your physical health conditioning levels. Clearly, exercise is incredibly important to staying healthy, especially as we age. But simply exercising is not as straight-forward or as easy as you might think, as there are a number of components which can come into play. With that in mind, here is what you should know about exercise from your Parker physical therapist.

Choose Activities Which You are Likely to Engage In

If you haven’t exercised in ages and the thought of going to gym is the last thing you would consider to be an enjoyable experience, it is important to find something which you will be likely to engage in. For instance, if you hate the thought of running but you are more inclined to want to get on a bike, consider enrolling in a spin class as a way to get your cardio activity. Whenever you are taking on a new habit, you should seriously think about the activities which you will be likely to engage in. However you can remove the barriers and obstacles to working out, the more likely it is that you will actually do it. 

Making significant behavior changes requires a persistent mindset and a commitment to getting better, but you should also be realistic when you are taking on the task of a new workout routine. If you are thinking you will go from no exercise to running a marathon, you are simply setting yourself up for serious failure. Instead of shooting for the moon right off the bat, think about ways you can slowly wade into the waters of exercise, especially with activities you enjoy. Sports can be a terrific way to achieve your exercise goals while also having fun. Think about the things you enjoy the most in relation to physical activity, and pursue these activities as much as possible. 

Be Careful Not To Overdo It

When people begin to exercise when they haven’t done so in ages, often individuals are tempted to go from zero to a hundred in a short amount of time. The idea of making up for lost time can be appealing for people who are wanting to catch up to their more active peers, but this can be a recipe for disaster, as you may end up overdoing it and regretting your decision. It’s important to ease into physical activity if you haven’t worked out in a long time, as it can be dangerous to your health in a number of ways. 

For instance, if you are overweight or have circulation issues, making the decision to overexert yourself can be extremely dangerous to your health, as you may end up experiencing serious repercussions as a result. Don’t ever overdo it when it comes to exercising, as you may end up seriously injuring yourself in the process. Going too hard, too soon can prevent you from reaching your health goals, as you may be incapacitated for a long period of time and will be incapable of working out. Whenever you haven’t worked out a long time, make sure to take your time and start slow, eventually building to more serious and strenuous activities. 

Consider Working Out in a Group

If you haven’t worked out in a long time, it can be difficult to start this type of habit on your own accord. The prospect of going to the gym or simply going for a run in your neighborhood can feel like pulling teeth, making it much less likely that you will actually go out and do it. In order to increase the chances that you will actually complete the task, it can be a great idea to consider working out in a group. Consider finding someone you are close to who will want to work out together with you, as this can increase the odds that you will actually complete the activity. 

Having someone to hold yourself accountable can dramatically increase the chances of you starting a new routine, as you will have to make an excuse to another person why you can’t workout instead of just yourself. And let’s face it: it’s always easy to tell yourself why you don’t need to do something, but telling someone else is much more difficult.

Think About Gyms Which Are Close To Your House

If you have had a long day at work, often the last thing you will want to do after you get home is to get stuck in traffic driving a gym that is far away from your home. For this reason, it is definitely wise to think about joining a gym which is close to either your home or the office, as it will make it much more likely that you will actually go. With any new behavior, it is always best to remove the barriers to completing the activity, and having a gym close by is a great way to ensure you end up taking advantage of your gym membership.

If you are looking to improve your physical health situation is and are in need of physical therapy due to an accident or other physical ailments, contact Peak Physical Therapy and Wellness today and we will be happy to assist you with your first steps towards recovery. We have an extensive team of qualified physical therapists and specialists who care deeply about their clients and go above and beyond the call of duty to provide the highest quality treatment in the industry. If you are looking for a therapist who will carefully assess your individual needs and formulate a treatment plan that is specifically tailored to your needs, Peak Physical Therapy and Wellness is your preferred choice for the physical recovery process.