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Are you as strong, flexible, and physically fit as you would like to be? If you are, good for you. However, if you want to make some improvements, here’s one piece of advice: Try to improve a little bit at a time.

The only way to walk a mile is to take 1 step at a time. The only way to improve your fitness level is to take it 1 step at a time.

• Pick 1 aspect of fitness (aerobic, strength, flexibility) you want to improve first.
• Pick an activity that you enjoy. Your more likely to keep doing something you like.
• Set a 1-month goal that you think you can reach. For example, plan to walk for 10 minutes at lunch 3 days a week, or stretch for 5 minutes each morning.
• Start today. Keep a record of what you do.
• When you reach your first goal, reward yourself! Then set a new one.

Consistency brings success. Each success may be a small one, but small successes can quickly add up to physical fitness that will make a big difference in your life.

How hard should I exercise?

Nice and easy does it. Exercise does not have to be intense to be of value. In fact, if you exercise too hard, you get less benefit than if you go at a moderate pace.

Above all, listen to your body. If the exercise feels too hard, slow down. You will reduce your risk of injury and enjoy the exercise much more.

Try the “talk-sing test” to determine your ideal exercise pace:

• If you can’t talk and exercise at the same time, you are going too fast.
• If you can talk while you exercise, you are doing fine.
• If you can sing while you exercise, it would be safe to exercise a little faster.

Your exercise is most effective when you can talk, but not sing, while doing it.

How Often should I Exercise?

Most studies show that exercising for at least 30 minutes a week is what it takes to improve fitness. However, sometimes it’s easier to make exercise a habit if you do it every day.

With aerobic exercise, harder is not better, but longer is. Although you can get good fitness benefits from as little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, extending your exercise time will increase your rewards. This is true for up to 1 hour of exercise per day. Beyond that, there may be diminishing health returns and increasing risk of injuries.

Warm Up and Cool Down

For the first 5 minutes of your exercise routine, start out slowly and easily so your muscles have a chance to warm up.

End your exercise with a little cool-down period. If you’ve been running or walking quickly, gradually slow your pace, then do a few light stretches to improve flexibility.

Drink some extra water before and after exercising.

Overcome Barriers to Exercise

There are 6 barriers to exercise are all easy to overcome

1. No time?
   Try shorter periods of activity spread out throughout the day, such as three 10-minute walks.
2. Too tired?
   It’s often lack of exercise that makes you tired. Exercise gives you energy, try it.
3. Embarrassed?
   Many people are, especially at first. Be proud that you’re taking care of your body.
4. No partner?
   Yes, it’s more fun to exercise with a friend. If your regular exercise partner quits, find another one. You could also join a fitness club, take a class, or exercise to a video.
5. Bad weather?
   Too hot, too cold, too wet, too windy-it never seems right for exercise. Lots of people exercise come rain or shine. Try a variety of indoor and outdoor activities.
6. Too costly?
   You had to let the fitness club expire. You can’t afford a mountain bike. You panic at the price of running shoes. It all costs money, but can you afford not to exercise? Try a low-cost option such as walking instead of driving.

Exercise CAUTIONS

Moderate exercise is safe for most people. To be safe, start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your exercise. However, if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, talk with your physician before beginning an exercise program.

• Do you have heart trouble?
• Do you have undiagnosed chest pains?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you have arthritis or other bone or joint problems that might be aggravated by improper exercise?
• Do you  have diabetes? You may want to talk with your physician about how increased exercise affects your insulin needs.

Men over age 40 who have been inactive or who have 2 or more risk factors for heart disease* and who plan to start a vigorous exercise program (running or fast bicycling or swimming) may wish to talk with their physician about any possible risks.

*Cholesterol over 200 mg/dl, blood pressure over 140/90, smoking, diabetes, or family history of heart disease before age 45

Across the country, people are tuning up their old bicycles or buying new ones to get around town and run errands. And why not? Bicycling is inexpensive, fun and offers numerous health benefits.

Like walking and jogging, bicycling is a form of aerobic exercise. Bicycling offers the added benefit of being low impact, which equates to less stress on the joints. Before you start riding, a few cycling precautions will go along way to making your ride more enjoyable. First, invest in a high-quality helmet, pair of gloves and bicycling shorts. Also, a comfortable, gender-specific bicycle seat makes it easier to take long rides. When it comes to more specialized gear such as clip-less pedals, they are recommended only if you are planning to ride more than 20 to 30 minutes at a time. As for the bicycle itself, make sure you get a cycle that fits both your leg length and your torso/arm reach. And before a ride, gentle stretching will help prepare your muscles and joints. After the ride, when your muscles are warm, is the time to focus on flexibility and increasing your range of motion. Here are a few handy stretches:

Gluteal Stretch

1. Lie on your back with your left foot flat on the floor and right ankle placed on top of the left knee. Reach forward with both hands and hold the back of the left thigh.
2. Gently bring your left knee toward your chest as far as you can without causing pain. You should feel a stretch in the buttocks area.
3. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other leg. Perform the stretch at least 2 times on each side.

Quad Stretch

1. While standing next to a chair or wall, bend your outside knee and bring your heel toward your buttock.
2. While holding the ankle of the bent leg, gently extend your hip back and up so that you feel a stretch down the front of your thigh.
3. Hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Perform the stretch at least 2 times on each side.

Shoulders, Arms and Back

1. With your arms and hands shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and feet directly below your hips, place your hands on your bike or a stable surface in front of you.
2. With your arms slightly bent, gently move your chest downward between your arms and shoulders until you feel a stretch across your chest and shoulders.
3. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds and repeat 2 times.

Handling the bewildering nature of weight equipment consists of two points.

• First, relax. With a bit of practice, weight training contraptions are actually
  easy to operate.
• Second, be happy that you decided to take up weight lifting in the 21st
  century. Back in the 1800s, fitness enthusiasts lifted furniture, boulders —
  even cows! Although we personally have never tried hoisting farm animals
  over our heads, we feel confident that today’s weight training
  devices are a major improvement.

In this and the next few articles, you will discover the basic strength-building tools found in health clubs and home equipment stores. You will also receive a detailed account of the pros and cons of each equipment category:

• Free weights (dumbbells and barbells)
• Machines
• Rubber exercise bands and tubes

And, with a little guidance, you decide which type of equipment is right for you.

• Should beginners stick to machines?
• Do barbells build bigger muscles?
• Can you get strong without using any equipment at all?

Please Check out the rest of this article at the pages below.

Getting Comfortable with Free Weights
Using a Weight Bench
Don’t Be Afraid of Weight Machines!

Making weight machines work for you

Like every machine ever invented, from the Cuisinart to the calculator, weight machines provide advantages over the low-tech contraptions that came before. Here are some of the ways that weight machines can top dumbbells and barbells:

• Weight machines are safe. Your movement range is limited and the
  intended pattern is preset, so you need less instruction and supervision
  than you do with free weights.
• Weight machines are easy to use. Machines don’t require much balance
  or coordination, so you can get the hang of an exercise more quickly.
  Also, you’re more likely to use proper form because the machine provides
  so much guidance.
  Machines don’t guarantee good form. You can still butcher an exercise
  on a machine, which can lead to injury or at the very least cheat your
  muscles out of a good workout.
• Weight machines enable you to isolate a muscle group. In other words,
  machines enable you to hone in on one muscle group to the exclusion
  of all others. For example, very few free weight exercises isolate your
  hamstrings (your rear thigh muscles). Usually, you can’t exclude other
  muscles — such as your front thighs, butt, or lower back — from getting
  involved.
  On the other hand, numerous machines can isolate your hamstrings.
  This feature of weight machines is helpful if you have a particular weakness
  or are trying to build up one body part.
• Weight machines help you move through your workout in minutes.
  You put in the pin, do the exercise, and then move to the next machine.
  This process also makes working out with a friend, who is stronger or
  weaker, easier — you don’t have to load or unload weight plates off a
  bar. But keep in mind that you do need to adjust each machine to fit
  your body. In Chapter 5, we explain how to adjust machines.
• Weight machines challenge your muscles throughout the entire
  motion of an exercise. Many (although not all) modern-day weight
  machines compensate for the fact that your muscles aren’t equally
  strong throughout a particular motion. Consider the triceps kickback
  exercise, shown in Chapter 14. This exercise is relatively easy at the
  start, but by the time your arm is halfway straightened out, your muscle
  is being challenged a lot more. By the end, your triceps again have
  better leverage, so you finish feeling strong.
  Use a kidney-shaped gizmo called a cam to manipulate the resistance at
  various points throughout your exercise. When you’re at a weak point
  during the exercise, the cam lightens the load. When your muscle has
  good mechanical advantage, the cam gives it more work to do. This way,
  your muscles are working to their fullest throughout the motion.
  Otherwise, you’re limited to a weight you can move only at your weakest
  point, as you are with free weights.

Examining specific weight machines

Countless ways exist to put the various elements of weight machines together. Here’s a look at the varieties of machines.

Weight-stack machines
Traditional weight machines have a stack of rectangular weight plates, each weighing 5 to 20 pounds. Each plate has a hole in it; to lift 50 pounds, you stick a metal pin in the hole of the weight plate marked 50. When you perform the exercise — by pushing or pulling on a set of handles or levers — the machine picks up the plate marked 50, plus all the plates above it.

Weight-stack machines save time because changing the amount of weight you’re lifting is easier.

Plate-loaded machines
Plate-loaded machines fuse traditional machines and free weights. They have a large frame and protect you from dropping any weight on the floor, but they aren’t attached to a stack of weight plates; instead, you place any number of round weight plates onto large pegs.

Some of these plate-loaded machines are gimmicky. They offer no benefits over traditional machines — unless you happen to enjoy carrying weight plates around the gym. However, we do like the plate-loaded machines that let you work each side of your body separately. We also like the varieties that have “free-floating” levers. Instead of forcing you to move through a fixed pathway, the machines let you move any way you want. These machines mimic the feel of free weights (for the most part) while retaining most of the safety benefits of a weight machine.

Hydraulic and air pressure machines
This machine category doesn’t have a weight stack either. Hydraulic and air pressure machines have a series of pistons that create resistance by pumping oil, gas, or fluid. These machines are fine — some are very well designed — but some exercisers don’t feel motivated when they use them because a
weight stack isn’t moving up and down or steel isn’t clanging. (Some people have quirks about working out.) All you hear is a sound that’s similar to a can of hair spray in action. Gyms that offer 30-minute circuit programs often use these machines.

Electronic machines
These high-tech contraptions may be the future of weight machines. Some varieties have computers built right in. You swipe an ID card into the machine, which automatically sets the resistance based on your last workout. As you do your set, the machine sends you technique tips. Other electronic systems attach to regular weight training machines. You punch in a code and the machine retrieves your personal information.

The advantage of electronic machines is the storing of your information. This feature is great for beginners, who may be too overwhelmed to remember how much they lifted last time. These systems also run a variety of extensive reports so you can analyze your training in depth. For instance, you can compare your progress on the leg press to your progress on the leg extension. Serious athletes may find this information useful.

However, what’s new isn’t always better. Electronic machines slow down the pace of the gym and remove some of the human element involved in working out. Instead of interacting with the staff and other members, you interact with a machine.  Also, if the system goes down, the repair process generally takes longer than it does with your basic weight-stack machine. And, the electronic systems aren’t connected with free weights, so computer-dependent lifters may be discouraged from experimenting with dumbbells and barbells.

Cable machines: A different breed
Not all machines use a cam. A class of equipment called cable machines uses a typical round pulley. A cable machine is a vertical metal beam, called a tower, with a pulley attached. You can adjust the height of the pulley to move it close to the floor, up over your head, or anywhere in between. Some cable machines
have two towers. Cable machines are more versatile than Nautilus-type machines. Clip a new handle onto the pulley and you instantly create a new exercise.

Consider the triceps pushdown. Pressing down with a rope feels considerably different from pressing down with a V-shaped bar. You may prefer one attachment to the other, or you may want to use both for variety.

Bands and Tubing
Giant rubber bands and rubber tubes provide a muscle resistance workout for just pennies. These inexpensive items can’t make you as strong or measure your progress as precisely as machines and free weights, but bands do challenge your muscles in different and effective ways. For example, because bands don’t rely on weight or gravity for resistance, bands provide a challenge during both the up and down motions of an exercise. With most free weight and weight machine exercises, on the other hand, you typically feel most of the resistance during the lifting portion of the exercise, because gravity assists in the lowering portion.

Rubber bands and tubes are also convenient and portable. (You can’t exactly pack dumbbells in your overnight bag.) If you don’t have access to machines, bands are a great supplement to free weights because they allow you to do exercises that aren’t possible with dumbbells and bars. Chapter 24 shows you ten exercises that you can perform with bands and tubes.