A healthy diet is essential to improve physical condition and promote physical and mental health. However, trying to maintain a balanced and consistent exercise routine also contributes to the health of children, young people, and adults.
It is usually at the beginning of the year that people include in their list of resolutions the idea of losing a few sizes, improving their physical condition, or increasing their endurance through constant exercise. But in reality, it is never too late to set this goal and start strengthening the body through constant activity.
To do this, the first step is to understand the condition of your body and perform a small diagnosis to understand the starting point that will guide your exercise plan.
According to physical trainer and manager of the Atletika Personal Training website, Diego Robles, there are several tests to determine more precisely the degree of physical condition of a person. However, he assures that a very specific study or test is not always necessary. “In some cases, it is enough to know the person’s history of physical activity, their health condition, and observe their behavior while performing basic exercises,” he indicates.
Take the first step
After setting a goal, the next step is to start creating an exercise routine that suits your physical needs.
Regardless of the specific objective or goal, you must begin by cultivating the quality of endurance, both at the cardiopulmonary and muscular levels.
In this way, we prepare our body to safely and functionally tolerate higher loads and intensities. It is not recommended to start by overexerting yourself, says Robles.
The type of exercise you choose will depend on your taste. There are a wide variety of options, ranging from outdoor activities to weight lifting. As long as we respect the idea of starting with the development of endurance, everything will go well and it will be a good start, under professional supervision.
Beware of injuries
According to doctor Abner Martínez, the main risk of doing excessive exercise or without proper supervision is that it can cause injuries to important parts of the body, joints, muscles, and tendons. In addition, it is an extremely dangerous practice for people with heart weakness or similar problems.
Martínez recommends a routine that is appropriate for age and physical condition, to avoid eventualities and conditions in parts of the body that allow mobility.
On the other hand, Robles adds that the possibilities of poorly directed training range from a sprain to, in extreme cases, death. I insist that they should seek advice from professionals and avoid empirical trainers.
As for cardiovascular training, the recommendation is to start with long walks at a relaxed pace, and over time increase the intensity until you can sustain a jog or run.
For muscle development, exercises performed with your body weight are the most appropriate before lifting weights, as they allow you to develop the proper technique that will later allow you to perform them with added weight.
Another important element is the training time. The appropriate time per session for a beginner ranges from 30 minutes to one hour.
Exercise at home
While it is true that the gym is a suitable space that facilitates training, due to the variety of elements it offers, it is not the only option. There are many other alternatives to achieve a constant exercise routine.
According to Robles, we can exercise from the comfort and safety of our homes, as well as in playgrounds, open spaces, and the countryside, among others.
Ideally, you should have the support of a trainer who can adapt the available elements to an efficient routine. For example, use elements such as handrails, furniture, benches, steps, elastic bands, etc., to suit your training needs. The trainer’s knowledge and creativity are the limit.
No matter where you decide to exercise, it is important to keep in mind that exercise should never put your body’s health at risk. That is, it should not be excessive or too demanding, to avoid injuries and damage to important parts of the body.
In some cases, enthusiasm for achieving short-term results causes people to overexert themselves and injure their knees, shoulders, or joints.
If this happens, the recommendation is that in the event of any injury, if the trainer deems it necessary or the person notices that there is no improvement, it is best to immediately consult a professional, for example, a physiotherapist.
He or she will help you with specific exercises to regain functionality. After that, your trainer can guide you in regaining strength by progressively increasing the demands and exercising with lower weights than you were able to carry before the injury.
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