How to Start an Exercise Program

As we begin to put a close on the calendar year 2017, we are provided with a well-timed occasion to reflect upon our experiences of the last year and place our hope towards the future.  For many of us, it may have been a challenging year where we may have experienced a change in physical fitness or function due to injury or other outside influences.  With the new year, many will turn towards new resolutions to create positive change in their lives.  An exercise program is a great way to improve physical health, emotional well-being, and provide us the opportunity to do more.  I would like to help teach you how you might initiate an exercise program in 2018.

First, you have to ask yourself “What’s your why?”  Are you choosing to exercise to feel better about your body?  Will it help you set an example for your children and family?  Are there achievement goals that a physical fitness routine will help you obtain?  By asking yourself, “What is your why?” you will create a self-directed goal and increase personal commitment towards completing your exercise routine.  There are many known benefits of exercise, but these won’t be achieved unless you personally commit towards completing your goal and routine.  Self-reflection and goal-setting are important and often overlooked first steps towards initiating an exercise routine.  A written journal entry is a great method to perform this first step.

Once you have an important personal goal, the next step towards starting a program is to build a team around you.  A well-rounded group of professionals and friends will increase your safety and provide you with increased accountability.  A trip to your primary care physician can ensure that you have been appropriately screened for possible health complications, such as heart disease and hypertension, which may limit a particular type of exercise.  Contacting a physical therapist for an evaluation or assessment will lend you an appropriate screening for possible injury implications and will help inform you regarding the effective amount of exercise.  A third part of your support team may include a personal trainer who is experienced in guiding exercise and will help you carry out a designed program.  Lastly, you may choose to utilize your family and friends to strengthen your personal connection to your exercise routine and increase motivation.

By this point, the momentum and success rates are building as you strengthen intrinsic¹and external² motivators to initiate exercise. Now you may be met with the question, “What type of exercise should I perform?”  There is no right or wrong answer to this question. The most important method is to decide upon an activity that you enjoy. The likelihood of continuing a program beyond the first few weeks positively correlates with the enjoyment you receive and how well it connects to your original self-directed goal.2 If additional help is needed to answer the question of what type of exercise, you may turn back to your physical therapist or personal trainer to determine which mode of exercise or intensity level is needed to meet your physical fitness goals.

Finally, you are now motivated, informed, and held accountable towards completing a physical fitness routine that provides you with increased personal enjoyment and fulfillment.  The final step is to set aside time in your week to ensure that you can reasonably fit in your new exercise routine.  You will want to make sure that the time spent on exercise balances with your other priorities towards family, occupation, and social commitments. Every good program has a plan in place so that positive intentions become realistic actions.  Put that pen to the paper and carve out your schedule to make it happen.

So there you have it!  I have provided you with a step-by-step process towards making physical fitness and exercise part of your future in 2018.  My goal was to provide you with hope towards improving your life experiences and I honestly wish you the best of luck.  As a physical therapist, I have personally enjoyed so much benefit from exercise and hope for you the same experience.  Please remember to have fun, work hard, stay safe, and start enjoying a richer life while being fueled by the multitude of positive benefits that exercise can bring!

Dr. Steven Babcock
Physical Therapist
Live Your Life^TM
Bringing Physical Therapy & Wellness to You!

Dr. Steven Babcock has a passion for movement and is motivated to facilitate others in their journey towards physical performance goals. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Saint John’s University in 2008 and furthered his education in achieving a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2015.

Dr. Babcock has experience treating a variety of musculoskeletal complaints and utilizes Postural Restoration to help his patients obtain proper joint position required to train and perform at their best. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

As a lifelong enthusiast for exercise, health, and wellness, Dr. Babcock has an infectious care to help others realize the power each individual possesses to take control of their personal health.

References
¹PJ Teixeira, EV Carraca. Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012. 9: 78.

²B Resnick, D Orwig. The effect of social support on exercise behavior in older adults. Clin Nurs Research. 2002; 11(1):52-70.