Body + Mind is reader-supported. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through some of the links on our site.
Have you repeatedly tried to start a fitness plan and lost steam every time? Maybe your routine didn’t fit your lifestyle.
Total fitness comprises three components: strength, cardiovascular training and flexibility. However, the possibilities for creating a personalized program are nearly endless. Here is a seven-step path designed to teach you how to make a fitness plan you’ll stick to for life.
This stage may seem simple, but it might be the most vital to your program’s success. Before beginning any fitness regimen, you should ask yourself health-related questions and talk to your physician about modifications for your conditions.
Once you understand your limitations, you need to ask yourself about other factors that hindered your past progress. Consider the following:
Once you evaluate your health and lifestyle, it’s time to select activities for each of the three main fitness components and get started. You need cardiovascular training to work your heart and lungs and improve your endurance.
Walking or running both qualify as ideal activities because they require minimal financial commitment. All you need is a pair of comfortable, sturdy shoes for each. If you struggle to squeeze in fitness, can you walk to work or park further away?
Along those lines, you could also ride a bike to work. You can find electric models that boost your pedal power if you worry about showing up to your job all sweaty.
If dementia or Alzheimer’s disease runs in your family, dancing can reduce your risk by 76% — twice that of reading a book. Plus, all you need to do is dock your smartphone and boogie down in your living room.
The second component of total fitness is strength or resistance training. Fortunately, you don’t need to join a gym, but please don’t fear the dumbbells if you’re female. Women typically lack the testosterone levels necessary for bulging biceps, but you will look sleek and toned.
Should you use machines or free weights? Both have substantial benefits. Free weights give you a wider range of motion, but calibrated devices help keep you in perfect alignment.
If you don’t like dumbbells, why not invest in inexpensive resistance bands? They come with the added perk of slipping into your suitcase without adding weight — there’s no need to skip a workout due to travel.
Many folks overlook the flexibility component of total fitness, but doing so could lead to injury. All you need is five to 10 minutes after each workout, and maybe a few when you first awaken to get your blood flowing.
If you enjoy being flexible, why not give yoga a go? You can find a style to fit your ability level, from gentle yin to athletic ashtanga.
Even if you love your workout plan, you’ll get bored if your life consists of, “If it’s Tuesday, it must be bike-ride day.” Choose at least one day a week to try an activity outside of the norm. Spice up your treadmill workout with a Zumba class or meet a friend for racquetball.
When it comes to making a fitness plan, don’t stop by penciling gym visits into your planner. Once you make it a part of your lifestyle, you’ll find yourself shedding unwanted pounds without dieting.
Start by making substitutions, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Expand on this idea as you get fitter. Can you walk to pick up your child from school instead of idling in the parent pickup line? Instead of collapsing in front of Netflix again, can you challenge your partner to a game of Twister?
Many experts recommend taking time off every three to five days if you do moderate to vigorous workouts. Consider these downtimes when you make your fitness plan.
You don’t have to lie in bed. Maybe your scheduled gym break is ideal for strolling museum grounds with your kids and identifying various trees and flowers. Perhaps you take the family bowling on Saturday when they offer unlimited games for one low fee.
Now that you know how to make a fitness plan, you have the tools you need to get in the best shape of your life. Get out there and work that glorious body!
