Self-made exercise design? Can you design an effective and relevant program on your own, for yourself?
Wouldn’t it be great if all the parameters for exercise design were outlined and you could just fill in the blanks? Or if there was some AI/algorithm that takes all of your info and pops out some great options?
Hmmm…..Let start with options: can you list all of your exercise options? Is there any activity that you think you could maintain for 10 minutes at a time at a moderate intensity.? If you don’t know what is moderate intensity check out this post.
How about 5 minutes? I have talked a lot about exercise snacks. See my playlist on You Tube for details.
If not moderate, how about light intensity? What’s light? Anything that isn’t sedentary (not moving).
I have been doing primarily light intensity for the past 2 months now. Getting my heart rate up and generate some heat has mostly been precluded by my injury. If you want the details, watch my You Tube video called Falling Off Track. Then come right back!
Think of activities that you sustain for the express purpose of improving health and fitness. There has to be some intention in there.
You could take an every day task and make it more purposeful, by focusing on posture and energy exertion. Think physical engagement for a prescribed period of time.
Start here
List all of your options.
Beside each option, write down where they would normally occur(gym, outdoors, home, work, other facility).
Now indicate if they require any preparation and how much planning is required (do they need to be scheduled or can they be done off the cuff?).
Put down your list. While it is resting ask those closest to you for options that you are likely to undertake. Emphasize the “you” and not them (unless they are going to do it with you!). You may get a few more ideas.
Now rate all the activities from easiest to most difficult to accomplish.
List all of the activities in order of most likely to do to least likely to do.
Now asterisk the ones that are most important for your current health and fitness.
OK. What have you got? Lots of options for your exercise design!! If you are just getting back to fitness, pick the easiest option and the one that you are most likely to do. You can use that as your base as you build up some consistency for the stuff that is maybe more important later. And if you don’t know what is important to you, there are a lot of layers to that but you can check out Exercise specificity.
Hey, it’s a start, and that is all you need. More detail will flow in as you get into a new groove. You can do it! Tune in to my future blogs for the next steps!! Sign up today so you don’t miss out!
P.S. Not sure if you should be exercising? Try completing an activity readiness questionnaire. I have a video on Facebook explaining activity readiness questionnaires or see the bottom of my Essentrics page for links!