How to Start Your Fitness Program
Starting your fitness program may call for resolution of some final questions. Got a place in which to work out? Know what you’re going to wear? Need any special equipment? Do I have time?
Think of a few other things. The process of warming up and cooling down. The problems of pain and strain, especially at the beginning – problems such as shin splints, which you may remember from the past.
You’ll want to have these and other items clear in your mind. The questions of where to exercise, when during the day and week, what to wear, and how vigorously to exercise trouble many persons starting out on their self-tailored fitness programs. This is natural; the questions are important. The program has to fit into your life. It has to be practical.
We are talking, obviously, of the person who has decided on a personalized program that can be carried out alone. However, the person may not have decided on a place to do his or her exercises. One useful guideline to follow is to choose a space, or develop one, that ensures that the program can be “lived with.” Designers of fitness program suggest that the following three basic provisions should be made if you plan to work out at home.
Floor exercises and weight lifting take a floor area measuring approximately 7.5 by 10.5 feet. A larger area would, of course, be welcome. But to avoid bouncing off the walls you should have the space indicated. The height of the ceiling does not matter unless a trapeze or rings are to be installed. In either case the exercise area would require an 11-foot ceiling clearance of eight feet is adequate.
A mirror set up close to the exercise area expands the space in a visual sense. More importantly, the mirror makes it possible for the person to check the accuracy of his or her exercise positions and routines when working out alone. If possible, the mirror should be six feet high by three feet wide so that it provides a full-length view.
Because slippery floors can present major safety hazards, the footing should be tested and retested for safety. Carpeting helps unless the exercise program includes dance routines. In general, a tightly woven, looped-pile, industrial-grade carpeting is recommended. This kind of carpeting has one major advantage over cut-pile – shag or velvet surface – carpeting: the looped-pile type is more durable. Just incidentally, the looped-pile type is cheaper.
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