Long Term Fitness Planning

By John A. Mays, MSEd

In our fast-paced society, we are bombarded with infomercials, books, television programs, advice columns, websites, and internet advertisements. These media sources that tell us the fastest, easiest, or the latest celebrity endorsed ways to lose weight or get fit. In most cases, trendy fitness plans, while popular and great to talk about, do not provide long-term results because they are difficult to maintain. Special foods or exercise equipment may be too expensive, and the latest regimen may require too much time for busy lifestyles.

With all the media attention focused on multiple exercise options and “easy” solutions, choosing the right plan or one that will last longer than a few weeks, may be a challenge. The right fitness plan is simply the one that best fits your needs, budget and “permanent” schedule.

How to plan a lifestyle fitness program

Ideally your fitness plan should include different activities to help avoid injury, boredom and burnout, while addressing strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. Whether you do cardio and strength in one workout session is not as important as consistency and making sure you exercise each muscle group.

While guidelines recommend a certain amount of daily or weekly physical activity for optimum health and fitness, our busy lifestyles often do not allow us to meet recommendations despite our best intentions. If you are a beginner and don't exercise, adding even 30 minutes a week is a great start.

As you progress, you can eventually get to the desired 60 minutes of exercise three days a week to start and add sessions as your fitness level improves. If you miss a workout, or even a few, focus on your next session and returning to your regular schedule.

For long-term success, hire a long-term trainer and choose at home exercises you enjoy and that work best with your schedule, your fitness level, and your finances. This allows you to start small and guarantee success in increments without injury, boredom or the fear of quitting.