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Weight Loss Exercise

How hard to push when starting exercise



I always worry about how people get started or restarted doing exercise. The trouble is that we are all excited to get started and run or workout and feel tired but the next day for a week wake up in excrutiating pain and do not want to ever go through that again.

I know this because I have done that too.

I find that for the first week or two that you start or restart serious exercise it is best to ramp yourself up. We all want to be instantly fit but you have to  work up to it or you will never get there without giving up because of muscle soreness (Biggest Loser never shows this). I was thinking about this yesterday in the gym and how it is nice to push as hard as I can to make gains knowing that I will be in fantastic shape in a month but also knowing that day to day for the first week I will be making gains mostly in building mental toughness and improving my agility, balance, and joint strength.

Don’t get me wrong, I am working hard but my weight workouts are to failure with fewer sets so I am still a bit sore but not enough to slow me down at all. Excitement is great but overexertion will really hurt and if you pull something or get joint or back pain it can really set you back.

So if you are starting out, or are sore today remember that the pain goes away and you should not be sore day to day after the initial bit of pain. Get through it or just work your way up.

If you do get sore there are a few things you can do to get rid of that muscle soreness.

A warm bath is always nice. You can use a  heating pad alternating with ice on your muscles. Also I have taken aspirin in the past to just dull the pain, and finally stretching, stretch those muscles lots whether sore or not to get rid of the lactic acid buildup and to help your flexability.

Constistency is key. make sure you are getting some kind of exercise everyday even light walking or biking and if you are doing weight workouts make sure you are giving a day in between. I try to get at least two to three hard cardio workouts a week and two to four weight workouts a week as well.

Here is an article I wrote on starting Weightlifting http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/getting-started-weight-training.html

And here is another on starting exercise itself http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/building-up-in-cardio.html

I want to dive into more detail but sometimes that more you know the more confusing these things can be. Just get out and get some exercise, ok?

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Weight Loss Exercise

Dealing with Setbacks

This last couple of weeks I feel are all about me but I am hoping that you can learn from my problems.

We all deal with problems and setbacks when we are getting fit or healthier. Usually this is because we are beating our body into changing one way or the other. How you deal with your injury or setback will directly affect how you move forward afterwards.

Dealing with Setbacks

Dealing with Setbacks

Last week I decided that I was going to really pick it up trying to get in the best shape of my life so I could dominate in street hockey next week. I did this by doing lots of cardio, running, riding, rowing, elliptical trainer. But the trouble is that I have been cardio-lazy all winter while doing speed style weight workouts, you know like turbulence training.

Well my body got really mad at that straight out cardio and I seem to have wrecked my back. This happens lots to people and when it happens to you how do you react?

Well the best way to react is to heal and work around the injury. Ice and heat alternating a few times a day, aspirin for the pain and continue trying to exercise.

When eating this happens a lot. You cut your eating and change your diet and in your head you are struggling, starving, and feel like you are doing without. Then suddenly you find a cake and eat it.

What do you do next? Well I would have to ask why you are starving yourself and depriving? My best idea is to regroup after eating that cake and  try to decide what was wrong. Plan what you will do. I will tell you right now that just by drinking more water, spacing out your eating to 6 smaller meals, and cutting out all the bread, potatoes, and rice from your diet will make a huge difference.

So think back, how do you tend to react to setbacks? I know this is always a process that you have to look back at your past and see how you can adjust.

I always used to be disappointed in myself that I did not have unlimited willpower until I realized that I was setting far too high a standard for myself.  You should look at yourself the same way, recognize your limitations and don’t try to be some kind of hero but just always move forward in your dreams and goals.


Dealing with Setbacks

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