Written by: Nichole Chaviano, PT, DPT
Almost all adults and children can benefit from light to moderate exercise to enhance your health and improve your physical abilities. Definitely speak with your doctor if you have any injuries, chronic or unstable health conditions, neurological illness or diabetes. Also, consult with your doctor if you have been experiencing any troublesome symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or pain. 
1. Be prepared for your chosen workout
Dress in proper clothing for the temperature and humidity, layer in cooler weather; wear thin, light-colored clothing in the warmer months and always wear shoes appropriate for your activity. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen! But to be safe, simply avoid exercises outdoors in extreme temperatures. Next be sure to eat a proper meal and drink plenty of water leading up to starting any exercise.
2. Let your body be your guide
Some days you feel like you can run a marathon, while others a slow walk can seem exhausting. Many variables play into your level of fatigue including time of day, what you’ve eaten, how much sleep you’ve gotten and your overall health, so allow yourself to be flexible with what you do each day. Change your plan so that you are challenged but not overdoing it.
3. Establish a strong foundation before progressing
Sure, everyone wants to reach their goals as quickly as possible but advancing your exercise program too quickly can easily lead to injury. Stabilizing muscles need to exhibit a baseline level of strength before you progress to the more advanced exercises. Aim for slower, safer exercises and progress one variable at a time, such as resistance, repetitions, distance or time. And always explore reputable resources to guide you as to how to execute the exercises properly.
4. Change it up!
Surprise your body with different approaches to exercise, it will prevent plateaus, limit overuse injuries and likely jump start your improvement. Try new activities and invite your family and friends to join.
5. Take a break
All muscles need time to recover from exercise. When strength training a muscle group leave at least one day between use to allow the healing of the muscle fibers. For cardio training, rest at least one day a week to allow your body to recoup. Cross training allows you to exercise daily while utilizing muscles in different ways, this decreases the impact to your joints to reduce injury.
Whether you are an avid athlete or someone just exploring the idea of beginning a fitness routine Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation can help you achieve total body wellness. Give us a call at 732-345-1377 for a free consultation on how we can help you.
