Word from the Y’s: You know you should exercise, but where should you begin?

Check out your fitness facility
Call or go into your gym and ask for a tour of their fitness center. There should be an exercise professional on staff who can show you where all the equipment is located as well as how to use the equipment properly. This will help you feel more comfortable in your facility and give you an idea how your gym is set up.
 

How often and what kind of exercise
First, you want to make sure you’re healthy enough for physical activity by consulting with your doctor. Second, you want to start slow. For a general exercise program for overall heath, including bone and heart health, you want to strive for 30 minutes of cardio exercise (treadmill, stationary bike, anything that gets your heart rate up and breathing harder than normal) 3-5 days per week. You should also include some strength training with weights or weight machines. Ideally you should try to work in eight different weight exercises 2-3 times a week. Try three sets of 10 -12 reps of each exercise. Weight training is important especially as we age. Remember this isn’t a race, work your way up to your desired goal.
 

Time commitment
People are constantly telling me they can’t find the time to exercise. The truth is, we all live very busy lives. To combat the time crunch, schedule your workouts into your calendar. When you carve out time specifically for exercise and keep it consistent week to week, a habit begins to form. You begin to expect that break and you become more dedicated to that time just for you.