Things You'll Need:
- your favorite stretches
- your favorite low impact aerobic workout
- your favorite strength training exercises
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Step 1
Be sure you are in a good mood. Do not assess yourself on a day when you are already irritated or depressed, as it will cause you to exaggerate your flaws to yourself.
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Step 2
Measure your waist, chest or bust, hips, upper arm, upper thigh, neck, and calf. Write your measurements down. If your waist and hips are at least 10 inches different, you are not in bad shape.
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Step 3
Measure your height and add it to your measurements list.
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Step 4
Weigh yourself, using a scale that has been calibrated for accuracy. Write this number on your list as well.
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Step 5
Look at yourself in a 3-way mirror. If you see that you are not as fit as you would like to be, do not get upset with yourself. This is the first day of your new life as a more fit, healthier person. Celebrate it by treating yourself with respect for what you are about to do.
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Step 1
Most people sabotage themselves by overdoing exercise instead of taking things slowly and building up to a more challenging workout over time. Start with light stretch, then work your way into yoga, core training, light strength training, low impact aerobics, medium impact aerobics, medium strength training, high impact aerobics and high strength training.
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Step 2
Put on some slow music and go through a series of simple stretches. Stretch only to the point that you can feel it, but not to the point of pain. "No pain, no gain" is a fallacy. Breathe in. Raise both arms above your head, shoulder width apart. Stretch as if reaching for something as far as you can. Hold 10 seconds. Lower your arms by spreading them apart and dropping them slowly to each side, making a big circle from top to bottom as you do so. Breathe out as you lower your arms back to your sides. Repeat 10 times.
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Step 3
Lay on your back with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor. Check your body alignment. Place your feet so that your heels are side by side. Use the edge of a rug or the wall to be sure your feet are side by side rather than having one in front of the other. Have a buddy check that your hips and shoulders are straight. Breathe out slowly. Imagine your breath traveling from your head to your toes and out your toes, carrying any tension out of your body with it. Breathe in, pushing out your abdomen and filling your lungs all the way to the bottom. Breathe out, using your abdomen to force air out of your lungs by pulling in your belly. Repeat 10 times.
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Step 4
Lower one leg straight, and raise the other six to ten inches off the floor. Point your toes. Use your toe to write each letter of the alphabet in the air. Repeat twice if you are able. Lower the writing leg and raise the other leg six to ten inches from the floor. Point your toe. Do two repetitions writing the alphabet in the air with your toe with the second leg. Relax. Breathe in, then out.
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Step 1
Stretch for 10 to 15 minutes before your workout.
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Step 2
Choose low impact aerobics or light strength training when you are first getting started. Alternate your training days so that you do not overtrain. Do the minimum number of repetitions and gradually increase both repetitions and weight or resistance as you are able.
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Step 3
Play your favorite music. Use a mix of slow songs for your warm up, then slightly faster songs for the beginning of your workout. Once you begin to sweat, alternate faster and slower songs to keep your heart at the target rate for your age.
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Step 4
Play slow songs for a cool down at the end of your workout.
Comments
thesquirrelymom said
on 11/11/2008 Great article, thanks!
dianatudor said
on 9/6/2008 Wow! Such a complete article! 5***** Jane! A fit person=a healthy,sexy,happy one!