To truly move towards a healthy lifestyle usually means addressing health concerns in a number of areas.
First, you need to schedule a
full physical & blood workup with your doctor, if only to be sure
of what conditions and concerns you need to allow for as you get
started.
Changing your diet, sleep patterns and exercise level places
some stresses on your system initially, even if those changes are
designed to bring you better health over time.
Discuss
your planned return to fitness with your doctor while you're there.
While your doctor may not know as much about exercise physiology as
your personal trainer or as much about current nutrition research as
your registered nutritionist, he or she knows a lot more about YOUR
body and systems than anyone else.
While you might never get your
doctor to create my exercise plan or design your meal plan, you
should never ignore their advice regarding your body and it's
internal workings - that would just be foolish and potentially
dangerous.
Once
your licensed medical professional has given you the green light to
start working out and changing dietary habits, be prudent about
getting started and especially realistic in your expectations.
Chances are you didn't get out of shape in just a few weeks or
months, so don't expect to reverse the damage and get in shape in
that short a time period.
For one thing, the loftier your goals and
shorter your expected time to achieve that level of fitness, the
greater the risk you'll do more damage than good.
For
example, when trying to get back in shape many people will pick up
one or two bodybuilding magazines, find the workout routines
competitive bodybuilders are using, and try to start out with those.
After all, if it worked that well for them then it has to do the same for you, right? WRONG.
The pro bodybuilders featured in most
magazines have:
a) been working out for years, building up to a point where their bodies can handle a workout like that.
b) most pro bodybuilders are using thousands of dollars a month in steroids and other drugs to help their bodies heal faster and stronger-without those drugs even they would have to dial their workouts down a few notches...
And their central nervous system is already used to those heavy weights and grueling workouts - think of what they'd do to YOUR body!
a) been working out for years, building up to a point where their bodies can handle a workout like that.
b) most pro bodybuilders are using thousands of dollars a month in steroids and other drugs to help their bodies heal faster and stronger-without those drugs even they would have to dial their workouts down a few notches...
And their central nervous system is already used to those heavy weights and grueling workouts - think of what they'd do to YOUR body!
To
truly get in shape and stay in shape, don't even consider using drugs
to get bigger, get stronger or lose weight. Fitness isn't a cosmetic
concept - those sexy bodies with their healthy glow are a side effect
of being in great shape. Fitness is a health issue, and using illicit
drugs to reach certain goals quicker is counter-intuitive to being as
healthy as you can be.
Besides, unless you have a life-threatening condition or are morbidly obese, you most likely have a lot of time to get in shape.
Trying to achieve a great fitness level or that 'perfect' body too quickly will lead to disappointments that will quickly erode your motivation and probably result in you abandoning your quest yet again.
Instead
of starting out with the goal of losing 30 pounds, benching 250
pounds or running the next marathon, set your goals to be a little
better each week than the week before. Start each week with the goal
to lose 1 - 2 pounds, add 5 pounds to your bench press or run a
quarter mile farther than you did last week.
Setting reasonable goals will still have you reaching to achieve them each week while giving you a greater chance of success - success that will help you stay motivated to get in better shape week after week.
And
while you won't meet or exceed your goals every single week, your
overall patter of success will lead you further and further along
your path to a truly healthy lifestyle and the resultant fitness,
energy and health benefits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7085412
By D. Champigny
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