It’s difficult to start an exercise routine and maintain it. Many people have been there, especially at the beginning of each New Year.
But you don’t have to wait for 2023 to start. Dr. Maria Princess Kanapi from the Endocrinology Department of Makati Medical Center shared the following tips to boost and empower you to start exercising.
Physical activity accounts for only about 15 to 30
percent of daily energy expenditure but its benefits
go beyond weight loss.
1. Be determined. You have to set your mind, body and soul so that you would start exercising. Do not procrastinate, start as soon as possible.
At the minimum, 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity will work wonders. Muscle strengthening activities such as resistance exercise may also be combined with aerobic exercise two or more times per week.
2. Be prepared. Sleep early, especially if you schedule your routine exercise in the morning. Prepare the workout clothes you would need the night before. Make sure they are light fabric-wise and not so tight that your skin can breathe beneath the garment. A good pair of rubber shoes would help a lot. You don’t want to have blisters at the end of Day 1.
3. Have an exercise buddy. You will surely enjoy exercise in the company of your better half, sibling, best friend, officemates or even your parents.
4. Eat a light meal an hour before the exercise. Eating a light meal prior to exercise will ensure that your blood glucose will not drop. And don’t forget to hydrate before, during and after the workout.
5. Determine the type of exercise that is most suitable for you. If you are a newbie, you may start with short periods of low-intensity exercises, such as brisk walking. Your physical activity level is light if you are breathing normally, not sweating and can talk easily or even sing.
Once you get the hang of it, you can proceed to moderate-intensity exercise. Your physical activity level is moderate if you are breathing quickly (but not out of breath), you are lightly sweating after about 10 minutes of activity, and you can talk as usual, yet you can’t sing.
You may proceed to vigorous or intense exercise after a few weeks.
Your physical activity level is vigorous if you are breathing deeply and quickly, sweating after a few minutes of activity, and can’t usually talk without stopping for a breath.
Make sure to consult your doctor on what exercise is appropriate for you, mainly if you have already acquired some complications of diabetes, as there might be some limitations you need to know.
6. Spice it up. There are so many ways to exercise, and you are not limited to the gym! If you love sports, exercise can be in the form of playing basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, badminton, boxing and many more. If dancing is your thing, you can join dance classes such as ballroom dancing, Zumba, jazz, hip hop and the like. If you really are a gym buff, there are many new trends of exercising, such as circuit training through the good old elliptical, treadmill exercise and light weights would still be good for you.