Water aerobics classes are also popular with beginners. The buoyancy of the water eases the pressure body weight puts on joints, making it a good choice for the obese or arthritic novice. It allows them to "get the muscle action and the range of motion that their body needs," Ehasz said.
"Plus, the water does provide enough resistance to get their muscles stronger to get [them] to the next stage of land-based exercises," he said.
(Scott Menchin - For the Washington Post)
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_____Live Discussions_____
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Transcript: Excessive Exercise: The Moving Crew will discuss revised dietary guidelines that recommend Americans should make time for 30 to 90 minutes of daily physical activity.
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Transcript: Post-Rehab Fitness: Sabrena Newton, fitness professional consultant was online to discuss getting back into the groove after physical therapy.
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While most group fitness classes are aimed at fitter and more experienced exercisers, some gyms offer classes aimed at unfit beginners. Bally clubs offer beginning step, abs and body sculpting classes. Terminology, equipment and overall routines of the classes are similar to more advanced classes, Carrington said, but the pace is much slower. Instructors of beginners' classes tend to be more attentive and willing to take questions and make changes to accommodate participants' abilities, he said.
Running might seem a remote possibility for those who haven't exercised since high school. But "Runner's World: Complete Book of Beginning Running," which will be published in March, explains how the uninitiated can get started on a 24-week walking and running program. The trick: Extremely brief runs to start, said the author, Amby Burfoot, executive editor of Runner's World, a magazine based in Pennsylvania.
During Week One, Burfoot said, exercisers should alternate two minutes of walking with 30 seconds of running. Repeat the pattern 12 times. Each week, add a bit more time and shift the balance from walking to running. By Week 24, Burfoot said, you should be able to run continuously for 30 minutes.
Oh, the Pain
Some people, including those who haven't worked out for years, develop "weekend warrior" syndrome, where people "who don't exercise [regularly] go play football on the weekend and pull their Achilles' tendon," said Sysko. "After the holidays [when] people are motivated . . . that's where people get the injuries. . . . Then they get frustrated and they get set back."
Working with a personal trainer or other fitness expert can help prevent these injuries, Sysko said. If you'd rather go at it on your own, be sure to listen to any warning signs your body gives. Know how to tell acute pain from the normal soreness that comes with starting an exercise routine.
"If an exercise feels painful or uncomfortable, lower your intensity and if that doesn't remove the discomfort or unusual feeling, do another exercise," said Bryant. "Listen to any chest pains, pressure, heaviness, dizziness [or] shortness of breath."
If any of those symptoms arise, Bryant said, stop the exercise and see your doctor. Make sure you can explain exactly which activity you were doing when the symptoms began, he said. (For more on getting a doctor's clearance to exercise, see "But First, a Word From Your Doctor" on this page.)
Warming up before exercise can help prevent injuries. (This is not stretching, which is best done after a workout.) Spend five to 10 minutes before your routine doing light jumping jacks, trunk twists or arm and leg circles (forward and backward), advised Ehasz. The goal of warming up is "get all of the joints loosened up and get some increased blood flow to those areas," he said. A few minutes on a stationary bike works, too.
For Synan, two years of regular exercise means she has a much higher fitness level than she did that day after her birthday party. And she no longer feels sore after her body pump classes.
"I stuck with it," she said. "It's soreness. It's not real pain. And it's a good pain because you know it's doing something."•
