Brain Yusem | Exercise Advice for the Beginner

The strongest advice that can be given to the beginner is to exercise often. Many people state that maximum benefits are obtained by exercising three times a week, an hour each session. But that can be misleading. People that are moderately fit can deal well with such a schedule, but not the beginner. Beginners should not exercise for an hour without stopping. And they shouldn't limit their sessions to three times a week. Instead, they should exercise three or more times each day, for fifteen to twenty minutes each session.

The beginning exerciser's body isn't used to exercise. Limiting exercise sessions to three or four times a day for fifteen minutes a day will eliminate that "exhausted" feeling. Exercise isn't good for you if you are so exhausted you can't move afterward.

Is it better to exercise in the morning or in the evening? Studies have shown that people who exercise in the morning are less likely to quit than those who exercise in the evening. Other experts claim that it doesn't matter when you exercise as long as it is at the same time every day.

I don't believe the time of day matters - as long as you do exercise. Your lifestyle won't always allow for scheduled exercise sessions so you must fit your sessions in between other commitments.

A beginning exerciser should choose one indoor exercise and one outdoor exercise to work on to start with. Outdoor exercises can be walking, jogging, bicycling, or hiking. Indoor exercises can be walking on a treadmill, using a rowing machine, video aerobic classes or aerobic dance classes. Sometimes it helps to have an exercise "buddy" for aerobic classes because they will help you to stick with it and not give up too soon.

Another way to get in some exercise without actually having an exercise session is to park a half mile from your office and walk the rest of the way. You will get ten to fifteen minutes of aerobic exercise morning and afternoon (in most cases).

Some people may also want to do anaerobic exercises to firm muscles. But, don't give up the aerobic exercises for weight lifting. Aerobic exercise is better for fat control and will keep your heart muscle stronger.

Your exercise program can be considered aerobic if it...

1. Gets you breathing heavily without your being completely out of breath. Your heart rate will be 65-80 percent of its maximum beat.

2. Uses the large muscles in the lower part of your body because using those muscles affects your whole body, not only your legs and thighs.

3. Goes on without being interrupted for a period of time. Fifteen minutes for exercise equipment like rowing machines or stair-steppers and thirty minutes for those exercises that use fewer muscles, like walking.

Exercise doesn't have to be hour-long sessions of misery. A few short sessions a day can get you in shape easier and without the muscle pain most of us associate with exercising.