The Olympics has inspired a lot of people to get off their sofas, take off their slippers and put some running shoes on instead. People are hitting the gyms, the swimming pools and joining the sports clubs because the games has galvanised a nation.
If your previous exercise regime extended to merely changing channel then there are some pitfalls you should avoid. Leaving aside your new found enthusiasm for keeping fit if you donִ do it properly you could hurt yourself.
Setting goals
On the Internet you are bombarded with adverts flashing in the corner of that article you are reading telling you how to get a flat stomach in twenty days. As appealing as such a programme sounds it is unrealistic and impossible to achieve.
The secret is to set your exercise goal to something you know you can achieve. When you are setting out on your first jog you are not going to be able to run a marathon. Set a distance you know you can run and slowly increase it as you get fitter.
Getting fit is a slow process and donִ worry if at first you are running slowly because the more you do it the better you will get.
Keeping the same workout
By changing your workout you will not get bored. It can be fatal if you have an exercise programme where you simply swim or routinely run a few days a week. After a while you will get bored and give up.
There are so many different things you can do as well as your normal exercise from Aerobics to Zumba that will help you get you fit. Variation is the spice of life.
Following a generic programme
Everybody is different and while one exercise programme is good for one person it may not be good for another. Believe it or not the biggest danger for new fitness enthusiasts is overtraining.
Time and again people download a fitness programme from the Net. To keep up with its workload they work too hard in the gym for their body. They then end up with knee ligament injuries or wearing ankle supports because they have overworked their bodies.
Listen to your body when you start out so you donִ need the first aid kit.
Changing your diet
All the athletes with their fantastic washboard stomachs during the Olympics talk about their exercise routines and maintaining a special diet to keep fit. Remember they are athletes and it is their job to be that fit.
Unless you live off pizzas or chips there is no reason why you canִ carry on eating the same foods as you usually do before you exercise. Remember you are burning calories so you donִ necessarily need to eat less.
Judging the results
A lot of people give up because they have not lost the weight that they wanted and they head back to the couch. Doing exercise is not just about losing weight.
Regular exercise helps to prevent serious conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Even if the pounds arenִ dropping off as quickly as you would like it is still worthwhile to exercise.