/ Get Fit, No Matter What

by Achal Dua

Get Fit, No Matter What

Jul 07, 2014

Whether you’re a beginner, making a comeback or nursing an injury, we’ve got fitness tips for everyone.

Whether you’re new to exercise or looking to get back into it after an extended period of time away, it’s important that you get started properly to help keep you committed to leading an active lifestyle.

Restarting can be overwhelming, especially if you were very fit before and now are nowhere near where you used to be. That said, it’s more than possible to start or get back to your fitness regimen if you take the right steps. Here are some things to consider as you get started on your fitness journey.

Fitness for Beginners

If you’re just starting to exercise for the first time, focus on reading your body as best as you can. Take the time to learn and discover how your body responds to various forms of exercise so you know how to build your best workout program.

Key point: Start slow. This cannot be said enough. When first starting with your exercise routine, it’s tempting to just dive in. You’re very motivated and it’s easy to jump in full speed. But recognize that while your body may feel good during the workout, by pushing too hard you won’t be feeling so good the next morning.

Even if you feel like you can do more, stop. This may be counterintuitive since you want to see progress, but it’ll pay off in the long run. There’s nothing that sends a beginner off track faster than waking up and barely being able to move. Save pushing yourself for when you’ve learned how your body responds and has gotten used to the stress from exercise.
If you’re already an experienced exerciser who has just taken some time off, you know how your body responds. You’ve also been there before and have the neuromuscular adaptations down for the most part. This means you don’t need to relearn the exercises, but you do still need to give your body time to adapt to the exercise stress again. So go slowly. Don’t dive in too quickly or you’ll be sorry. Set small goals each day to work your way back up to where you were.

Making Your Comeback

Consider starting at about half the volume that you used to workout at and then build up from there. So, if you used to do four sets of bench presses, do two to start and then increase going forward. This way, your body will gradually get stronger and you won’t be brought down by an injury. Vary your routine to help improve your overall strength development and avoid chronic overuse injuries.

Always remember, the first few weeks of any new workout routine are the most challenging. Once you’ve done eight to 10 workouts, it’ll be easier.

Fitness for Injuries

Struggling with a chronic injury? Whether you have a set of bad knees or bad ankles, a neck that always bothers you, or back pain that never lets up, chances are it’s putting a damper on your fitness regime.

Unlike a pulled or strained muscle, which typically heals itself in one or two days, these types of problems tend to be far more chronic in nature, meaning they are going to stick with you over time. Rarely will you ever get fully past them, which means proper pain management is key.

This doesn’t mean forgoing your workouts. It simply means you need to make some adjustments so you can carry on pain-free — or as close to it as possible. Here are some workout ideas for each of these painful conditions so that you can stay on track to reaching your fitness goals.

Bad Knees

If you suffer from knee pain in one or both of your knees, you’ll be feeling pretty limited. The key workouts to stay away from are anything that increases knee grinding. Cycling for instance is a poor choice because your knees are constantly bending and extending. Likewise, leg extensions should be banned from your protocol due to the excessive stress they place on the knee joints.

Instead, opt for activities like jogging or uphill walking. Both only require a mild bend to the knee so will place less strain on the joints.

Bad Ankles

The ankles are definitely more at risk because of the fact they’ll be supporting your weight in almost every activity you do.

If you’re struggling with bad ankles, swimming should be your go-to exercise. Cycling is a good choice too. You’ll get some ankle stress but it’s far gentler than a full weight bearing exercise. Yoga is also a smart choice as long as it’s done in many seated positions and is low-impact in nature.

Bad Neck

If your neck is of concern, yoga is not the route to go. Instead, focus on workouts that allow you to stay looking in one spot. Jogging, uphill walking, cycling or using the elliptical trainer are all great options. Strength training is also ideal, but be extra careful when doing any shoulder or upper back work as it could aggravate your pain.

Bad Back

Finally, if back pain is the problem, seek relief in all nonimpact activities. Cycling, elliptical training, swimming or weight lifting are good options. The main thing to avoid is any high-pounding activities as these will just strain the vertebra and spinal column.

Keep these tips in mind as you combat your injuries. If you choose the right exercise, you can still keep fit and stay active while putting the pain behind you.

Need a fitness boost? Email me @ [email protected]

Achal Dua is a certified personal trainer and CEO of Bollywood Abs Inc. in the Washington, D.C. metro area. He specializes in rapid weight loss, endurance and athletic training. An avid blogger, Achal has been featured in Vogue magazine and has regularly appeared on Zee TV, Jus Punjabi and HumDesi Radio. www.bollywoodabs.com

PUBLISHED IN THE HEALTH & WELLNESS ISSUE/SUMMER 2014

Achal Dua

Author

Achal Dua is a certified personal trainer and CEO of Bollywood Abs Inc. in Washington, DC metro area. As our fitness expert he brings forth his speciaity in rapid weight loss, endurance and athletic training. An avid blogger, Achal has been featured in Vogue magazine and has regularly appeared on ...