From exercise as a sport to excuses, excuses, excuses.
In high school, many of us participated in a sport. Some of us even were talented enough to land a spot on a college team. Needless to say, it was not difficult to find a way to stay active in an organized, social setting. Workouts came predesigned, already aimed at specific skills that a coach deemed important and necessary to develop. At least we could slug through the awkward, pubescent years with older and wiser minds guiding our fitness lives.
Welcome to your early twenties, where you are considered old enough to be one of the wiser minds. Sure, you can push through your old soccer workouts, and while they may help maintain a certain level of fitness, facts are facts. It is a fact that your twenty-something year old body is not the same as it was ten years ago, with limbs slightly too long and skin slightly too oily. You do not need to practice your drop kicks or dribbling for your fulltime office job, either. And while it is tempting to just jump on a treadmill, this will not get you results and you may even end up straining your joints and hurting yourself.
Start forming great exercise habits now.
Your twenties are the ideal time to imbed exercise into your daily life and build up a routine that will set you up physically for future years. Cardio is a popular form of exercise for women. If done at a low intensity, it burns fat. High intensities improve your aerobic performance! Calories disappear, and you simply feel good afterward. {There’s nothing like a runner’s high}. The sweat and heavy breathing inspire a sense of accomplishment (as it should!). An hour of cardio a day is perfect, though this may be difficult, schedule-wise. So remember ladies, something is better than nothing.
Cardio is good, but it is not the sole exercise in a complete workout.
Women tend to lose bone and muscle density with age. This cannot be prevented, but getting plenty of calcium and building strong muscles definitely helps. So get your gluts over to the weight lifting section. Whether you prefer machines, resistance training, or free weights, during a workout, you must challenge your muscles as much as your heart. Lastly, finish off your workout with a solid stretch session to improve your flexibility.
But where do I even begin?
Here’s the thing. While you hear about the importance of cardio, weight training, AND flexibility, it is intimating to walk into a gym, take in all the different machines, and get started. Where to begin? How many repetitions? How heavy should the weights be? Is your positioning correct? And once you do begin, how quickly should you progress? And let’s not even get started on the super enthusiastic fit chicks, complete with blond, bouncing ponytails and cute, little outfits.
And, on top of all that, a mistake can mean a pulled muscle or a worse injury.
The first step? Getting over yourself.
Don’t worry, there is good news! Once you get past all of the initial fears, once you answer all the tricky questions, and once your day is not complete without a trip to the gym, you will feel GREAT. You will sleep better, you will have more energy throughout the day, and you will be stronger, lean, and toned. These are just the short-term effects. Future-you will thank twenty-year-old-you for taking care of your body. Your muscles will be strong, your cardiovascular system will be healthy, and you will look great.
Getting over the initial fears and confusion is difficult. Knowing what you are doing will give you the confidence to walk into that gym like you own the place. Do some research and start off slow. Make injury prevention a priority as you test your limits. A personal trainer can also get you on the right track. Secondly, pay no attention to the other people at the gym. Most people go to the gym for “me” time. It is no so much a social scene as it is a chance to get away from the office and de-stress. Concentrate on your own workout, your own progress. Sooner rather than later, you will be enjoying the benefits of a regular exercise routine, and to the outside world, you will be one of those fit chicks.
~Mary Francis
Share your get-fit tips!
Going back to the gym after many years away can be very intimidating. Your article reminded me that when people work out they’re focused on what they need to do and aren’t paying any attention to the beginner nearby. No more excuses – Great article!