Getting started

How many times have you been told you should exercise to reduce the chance of illness? Or that fitness will make you better able to cope with the stresses of life? You agree you should make an attempt to be more physically fit, but how do you achieve your optimum level of fitness?

It's hard to exercise on your own, and even with a book or video it's hard to understand what you really should be doing. If you're interested in aerobic fitness, you may think the next step should be an intermediate level aerobics class or a five km run. The crunch may come 24 hours later when you find your whole body aches, that you are chronically tired, and on top of all that, the exercise was boring.

When you start out in exercise, getting fit is an effort in the early stages. Find a regular time that can be undisturbed for 40 minutes, and devote this time to your programme. Don't exercise in the middle of the day if the temperature is over 20°C. Have a glass of water 30 minutes before you exercise.

If you haven't exercised regularly (a minimum of three times per week) for the last two months it usually takes two to four weeks for your body to start to adjust. Take it easy for the first four weeks, and you can avoid pain, fatigue and soreness.

Take it easy

Check with your instructors to see when they last did a fitness instructor course or update workshop. If they have not attended a workshop or course in the past 12 months, they may be falling behind the latest information.

In the past few years there has been a quiet revolution in the guidelines for healthy exercise. The message coming out of organisations such as the National Heart Foundation is that if you are exercising to feel good, look good, and reduce your chances of suffering from cardiovascular or other degenerative diseases, then you should not exercise too hard.

If you aren't feeling particularly fit to start off with, you don't need to a do a lot of work to achieve a big increase in fitness levels. There should never be any feelings of soreness or fatigue after exercise.

Looking after your body

Go back to the basics: find something you enjoy, and do a little bit of exercise every day for a minimum of 20 minutes. Don't just think about exercise any longer, do something today.

Take the easy options: walk, don't run; go for the easier aerobics classes (such as new body, level two, or cardio); and try some of the soft exercise alternatives (yoga, tai chi, or stretch and flex). Prepare your body by doing a proper warm up and thank it by giving it a thorough warm down and stretch. Look after your body, it has to last a lifetime.

Sample exercise programme

This programme is designed for a theoretical person aged 40 years, who is carrying over 8kg of excess body fat, doesn't like exercise, but feels she should be a bit fitter to reduce body fat, reduce the risk of early illness related to inactivity, and improve her ability to enjoy life. This exercise programme will last for 12 weeks. Each week will include a preparation phase (warm up and joint mobility), a conditioning phase (where you do the work), and a recovery phase. The conditioning phase consists of aerobic, fat-burning activities. Walking can be substituted for activities such as a swim, cycle, jog or row.

• Weeks one and two: Monday/Wednesday/Friday.
  - Preparation: start each session with an easy walk, lasting for 10 minutes. As you walk, swing your arms, rotate your shoulders, and stride out as you warm up. Try to get your pulse up to 18 beats over 10 seconds (b/10 sec)
  - Conditioning: walk briskly for 10 minutes, with a heart rate of 20b/10sec
  Recovery: slow down, and walk easily until your heart rate drops below 15b/10 sec, and then stretch your calves, hamstrings and quadriceps.
• Weeks three and four: Similar to week one, but walk briskly for 15 minutes.
• Weeks five and six: Similar to week four, but walk briskly for 20 minutes.
• Weeks seven and eight: Same session as week six, but train for four sessions per week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
• Weeks nine and 10: Similar to week eight, but add in 10 push ups and 10 situps before you begin your recovery phase.
• Weeks 11 and 12: Similar to week 10, but add in some arm stretches at the end of the recovery phase.

Exercise goals

You shouldn't find the exercises hard, the hard part is maintaining a regular exercise pattern. Set yourself the goal of not missing one session over 12 weeks. If you do miss a session, pick up the programme where you left off. If you miss two sessions in a row, go back to the previous week's sessions. Exercise is the easiest way of improving the quality of your life.

Original material supplied by Monty Dortkamp, Chief Executive Officer, Fitness Australia, and Managing Director of the Australian Institute of Recreation. Edited by everybody, March 2005.