Plenty of options exist when choosing the best workout. You can hire a personal trainer, join a gym, do what your bestie enjoys, take a class or even search for something completely new on the internet. If you want to see results, feel good and avoid injury, create a workout that is balanced, challenging, but appropriate for your fitness level, and most of all, fun.
The best exercise program is not always the toughest or trendiest. Just because your best friend is a pro at playing pickleball, plays every day and loves it, doesn’t mean that pickleball would be a good fit for you. If you’ve never had good hand/eye coordination, enjoyed racquet sports, or ever exercised consistently, competitive racquet sports would not be the safest or most beneficial way to begin moving your body. The best program is the one you will do consistently. “What do you enjoy that will keep you working out?” said Razonte Dunn, Explosive Performance Site Director at One Life Fitness. “It will create an overall foundation, a base, where you can see improvements and results.”
The benefits of daily movement are immense. A pooled analysis of 85 studies reported in Science Daily found that adopting a more active lifestyle at any point in adulthood is linked with a 20-25 percent lower risk of death, even if one becomes active later in life. Maintaining consistent activity throughout adulthood showed a 30-40 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, especially for cardiovascular disease.
How well you know your own body, its physical strengths and limitations is important in crafting your own best workout. Dunn suggests hiring a professional to help you evaluate your fitness level and teach you proper form to become confident moving on your own. Dunn said he structures some form of functional training into every workout. “I get them to move their body more than what they are used to,” he explained. “I can evaluate their form and how they move and adjust for misalignments and overcompensations in one area of their body.” He recommends repeating the workout two to three times week with functional movements, one or two weight-lifting sessions on machine, then a group fitness class based on their likes and capability. “It’s all about them building confidence.”
Strength Training
Building muscle by lifting weights is one of the most powerful things you can do for your body and your brain, said Dunn. It’s how you build muscle at any age. Your muscles naturally decline as you get older. “Developing a strong and flexible base for your body comes through strength training,” said Dunn. “It strengthens bones, it strengthens the immune system, reduces chances of injury and makes your joints more resilient.” Over time, cardio movements will wear on your joints without strength training.
Dunn said lots of times people need to get moving and learn how to be comfortable moving their bodies. “I gauge where they are at and what they are currently doing,” he said. “Usually, I start them on machines and focus on creating a good base of strength that keeps them free of injury. I recommend them building their base for a few months.” He also recommends choosing some form of cardiovascular movement to do after strength training.
Convenient, fun and affordable
Convenient, fun and affordable are the three ingredients fitness trainer and instructor Dega Schembri suggested are necessary to stick to any exercise program. “If it’s too hard to get to, you won’t go. If you think it’s drudgery and uncomfortable you won’t stick with it and if you are struggling to pay for it, it’ll be the first to be dropped,” she said. “The class I currently teach at Eastern Market has been going strong for years because it’s convenient (many can walk to it), it’s consistent (three days a week), fun and financially feasible. The community aspect of the class is what helps everyone enjoy it and stay with it.”
The “correct” exercise program for you is one that supports your lifestyle instead of competing with it. It respects your time, your sleep, your work demands, your mental bandwidth and your obligations. When exercise fits into your life and is a priority, you are consistent, which is what produces results. The research is strong. It’s never too late to increase your movement. Even small changes can have big effects.
For more information: Razonte Dunn: razonte.dunn@onelifefitness.com; Dega Schembri: dega@foundfit.com.
Pattie Cinelli is a writer and fitness consultant who is constantly tweaking her workouts to keep from getting bored. She currently is addicted to pickleball and classical Pilates matt.
