What happens when you think exercise is going to make you feel
good, but you wind up feeling worse than ever after beginning a fitness
program? You wind up quitting because you think it is not worth all the
aggrevation.
The truth is, if you want your body to look and feel
better, you are going to spend some time being sore at first. It took
you a long time to accumulate all that excess body fat, and it will not
come off without a fight!
If
you begin a weight loss and exercise program knowing you will have to
endure some pain right off the bat, chances are good that you will not
only be able to prepare yourself better, but you will also continue on
to success. If you anticipate, plan, and take the proper steps, you can
minimize your soreness.
Physical Fitness Tips #1: Anticipate, To Deal With Soreness From Exercise
It
is normal to get excited on your first day of exercise. Visions of you
flexing those muscles on the beach are probably dancing in your head.
This is great, but keep your head in the game and out of the clouds.
You're not going to get that way tomorrow or the next day. Lifting too
much or running too fast could end up delaying your program while you
recover if it does not burn you out all together. Start slow. Next day,
push a bit harder. Next day, a bit harder still. Easing into a program
is the best way to anticipate soreness and achieve steady progress.
Physical Fitness Tips #2: Embrace The Pain, To Deal With Soreness From Exercise
A
little soreness means you have embarked on something that is good for
you. While it's always bothersome, know that it's only temporary and
that it is an important step along the road to your fitness goal. Think
of it as hurting in a good way. A great way, even. Once you work through
the pain, you are going to be fitter than before.
Physical Fitness Tips #3: Eat Proper Nutrition, To Deal With Soreness From Exercise
The
more you exercise, the better you need to eat. The better you eat, the
less sore you will become. Most people think that since you are burning
calories with exercise, you can eat as much junk as you want. Not true
if you want to remain healthy. Why? Because junk will not fuel your
muscles properly. This is especially true if you are trying to lose
weight. If you are eating donuts for breakfast, switch to a soy based
protein shake. What you eat is always vital.
I was a chronic
asthmatic my entire life and I could not exercise. I would have given
anything for the chance to be sore from exercise! It was not until I
began to change my eating habits for the better that my body began
functioning properly. People told me I could never exercise but
thankfully, I did not buy their story. I can not stress this enough. The
better your fuel choices are, the better your body will perform. It is
just like a car.
Physical Fitness Tips #4: Stretch, To Deal With Soreness From Exercise
Stretching
your muscles before and after you work out will help speed up your
recovery time and eliminate the risk of damaging your body. Easy
movements and stretches both at night before bed and first thing in the
morning helps your blood circulate better and will also improve your
recovery time. When a friend of mine ran track in high school, his team
stretched before and after each practice. In his five year running
career, he had little soreness and no injuries.
Physical Fitness Tips #5: Ice Your Muscles, To Deal With Soreness From Exercise
Nothing
circulates blood around like ice. If you have ever watched a locker
interview after a sporting event, you probably noticed that a lot of the
athletes were icing parts of their body. That's because it is a great
recovery aid. Almost all injuries heal quicker when ice is applied. And
soreness is basically a tear in your muscle tissue. These are necessary
in order to get stronger, and they will heal faster if you ice them.
Physical Fitness Tips #6: Exercise, To Deal With Soreness From Exercise
What
do you mean, Exercise? Is this not how you got soreness in the first
place? Yes! But here is the trick. More exercise is the last thing you
feel like doing when you are sore but working out promotes circulation.
Being sedentary while you are sore is worse than working out, as long as
you remember to not work out too hard. It is a good excuse to be
slightly active, since you are doing what is called a "recovery
workout."
Use the steps above when beginning an exercise program
to lose weight or just get healthier. You will find that recovering from
soreness is not as much an obstacle to overcome, but rather a part of
the wellness process for which you can be prepared. Nothing in life
comes easy. It took you a long time to gain all that weight and it will
not come off easily with a magic pill or the latest fitness gadget.
Learn to overcome small obstacles a day at a time so you can not only
lose weight, but you can keep it off for good.
Bill Winch is a Personal Wellness Coach whose mission is teaching
and coaching others who are struggling with getting healthy, losing
weight safely and keeping it off for good. He is a former High School
and College Business Educator and Counselor, and mentors from his home
office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in receiving his Free
Report "9 Weight Loss Myths Exposed"