Part 1: “I don’t know where to start.”

During the next few weeks, I will be posting a 10 part series that focuses on excuses people tell themselves so they don’t “have to” exercise, reasons these excuses aren’t legitimate, and routines to help you overcome them. I will also offer up tips about how I like to handle my personal nutrition.

In case you wish to question my methods, I am a former Division I athlete, Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Hot and Hot Power Fusion Yoga Teacher, so although I may still have a lot to learn, I do sometimes know what I’m talking about. I have had my own ups and downs, and through research, reading, and education have found things that work for me – I think they can work for you too, if you actually dedicate yourself to trying.

For those of you putting off an exercise routine because you don’t know how to begin, your excuse is crap. There are plenty of free resources to help you start living a healthier lifestyle, and many of them are online. If you need to, print them out and take them with you to the gym – or wherever you choose to workout. (If you think you’ll look like a dweeb carrying a piece of paper around, consider this, most collegiate and professional athletes keep track of not only their workouts, but also their progress… on paper… so get over it.)

On to the juicy stuff. The first thing you need to do in preparation for embarking on your new fitness journey is to lay a foundation. You should focus on your core and stability muscles. The dual benefit to these exercises is that they can be used as injury prevention. In fact, keep these exercises in your arsenal as maintenance once you’ve moved on to more fun, advanced, exercises.

1. 30 second front plank
   

   Make a straight line from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Awkward shirt kangaroo pouch aside, pull your belly button up toward your spine using your abdominal muscles (don’t suck in!). Keep your arms about shoulder distance apart, fingers spread, and push away from the ground.

2. 30 second side plank (each side)
   

   Push up through your grounded hand, squeezing your thighs together. You should create a straight line from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet. Make sure the shoulder and wrist of your grounded arm are stacked on top of each other. Keep your shoulders open (don’t let your top shoulder turn towards the ground – if I had more time, I would choose a better picture as an example).

3. 30 second glute bridge
   

   With your palms flat on the ground and your feet shoulder width apart, push through the heels of your feet to get your hips up. Hold for specified amount of time. You should feel this in your booty and hamstrings.

4. 10 single-leg balancing toe touches (each side)
   

   Start standing upright. Place the hand of your standing leg on your hip while you lift your other leg off the ground. Bend and squat to touch your toe with the opposite hand (back foot is still off the ground). Make sure your knee stays behind your toe, and try to keep your chest and eyes upright.

5. 10 front lunges (each side)
   

   Start standing upright with both feet together. Step out far enough that your front knee is above your front heel, and your back leg is almost straight. Keep your chest upright, and push through your front leg back to a standing position.

6. 10 side lunges (each side)
   

   Begin by standing upright. Take a big step out to the side, but make sure your outside knee stays above your outside ankle. Your standing leg should be as close to straight as possible, and your chest should be up. Try to keep your feet parallel with each other.

7. 10 torso rotations (each side)
   

   Begin (by this point I’m sounding redundant) in a standing position with your arms out straight in front of you, hands clasped. Keeping your feet and hips (that’s the hard part) facing forward, use your obliques to slowly (SLOWLY!) turn your upper body to the side (as far as you can go). Slowly return your upper body to face forward and switch to the other side. You should alternate 10 on each side.

Do each of these exercises in order. Once you have completed the circuit, repeat it two more times (with as little rest as possible). That is three – count them THREE – sets. If it seems too difficult, start with 25 second holds and 8 movements for each exercise. If it seems too easy, increase the time and number of reps to, lets say, 45 seconds and 15 movements. The third round shouldn’t be too difficult, but you should feel a burn.

(Tip for commuters – if you want to work on strengthening your core on your way to work, adjust your rear view mirror up a little so you have to sit up tall to see out of it. Pretend a puppeteer is pulling a string from the top of your head. Most of you will set your mirror, slouch, realize you can’t see, sit up straight, slouch, repeat… it’s okay… eventually, good posture will become a habit!)

Now that you have a plan to follow, let’s talk about hydration. Most people don’t drink enough water throughout the day. I’m not going to inquire about how many glasses of water my readers have each day, but unless you are having AT LEAST a glass of water with each meal, and even then, you are probably not drinking enough. You need to fall in love with H2O! Each morning when you wake up, before you do anything else, drink one full glass of water. This should become a habit. Even if you “feel full” or are groggy when you first get up, force yourself to do it. Drinking water not only hydrates you, but it gives you energy and helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Personally, I chug a glass of water before each meal, that way, if I somehow forgot to drink enough throughout the day, at least I’m headed in the right direction (actually, I am a freak about staying hydrated – I feel like I have to pee constantly).

Also, let’s discuss carbohydrates. Everyone needs them, regardless of what some “experts” say. Cutting an entire food group out of your diet is not only unhealthy, but it can be dangerous. The key is to make smart decisions about the foods you do decide to let enter your pie hole. I love bread, and although fresh baked bread is something I indulge in occasionally at a restaurant, I exclusively use Food for Life brand Ezekiel(sprouted whole grain) bread in my home. Not only do I like the taste more than other grocery store breads, it is higher in protein and fiber, and lower in carbohydrates than most others. The best part is that each slice is only 80 calories! The only downside to it is that it spoils quickly so it either has to be kept in the freezer and toasted at each use, or a few pieces at a time can be taken out and thawed.

This is my favorite of the Ezekial breads. I’m also a fan of the sesame one (it comes in a green bag).

So in summary…

1. Start with a foundation when beginning a new exercise regime
   1. Core strength and stability are essential
2. Hydrate
   1. Have a glass of water first thing in the morning after waking up
3. Carbohydrates are not the enemy
   1. Swap out your usual bread with a healthier one like Ezekiel 4:9

I would love to hear any feedback you might have. I will do my best to respond to questions in a timely manner. If I don’t know the answer to a question, I will either tell you that I don’t know, or I will spend some time trying to figure it out.

As always, it is recommended that you contact a healthcare professional (i.e. your doctor) before you start a new exercise plan (even though I think 99.9% of you won’t).