Southlake Texas Chiropractor Dr. Jennifer Beights serving Southlake, Keller, Grapevine, Roanoke, Westlake, Bedford, Hurst

A regular exercise program is important because it can lower your risk of disease such as heart problems and some cancers.  It can also boost energy levels and give mental clarity. Beginning an exercise routine can be intimidating and frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be.

If you’ve never followed a workout plan before, it’s important that you ease into it and start slowly. The number one mistake I see of workout newbies is overindulgence on their first visit to the gym. This leads to injury and soreness that can inhibit you from keeping up with your workout schedule. I would recommend dreaming of what you want to be able to do at your most fit and then cutting that by ¼ to start. If you really want to be able to do 100 pushups, start out with trying 25. Was that too easy? Try doing more next time. Was that too difficult? Cut back on that intensity until your body is ready to give it another shot.

The number one question I receive is, “What type of workout is best for me?” Keep in mind that everyone is different. Judge what’s best for you by how you feel afterward. Some people feel great focusing more on weight training, some on long distance running, walking or swimming and others with meditation and yoga. You could even be one of the balanced body types who needs to change it up every day. Listen to your body. If it’s hard to drag yourself to the spinning class but you look forward to pumping iron, go with it!

After about a month of getting your body in the rhythm of working out 3-5 times a week, really begin to focus on the types of workouts you are doing and decide if this is what’s best for your body. If you see that you’ve been doing all upper body and are feeling good, try easing into lower body workouts. Eventually, your body will be strong enough to alternate workouts for different muscle groups. Alternating workouts is a great goal to work towards because it gives each muscle group the attention it needs and when you switch to another group the next day, the group you worked out previously can rest. As you rotate workouts, you gain muscle and strength by building muscles and then allowing them to relax. Otherwise, if you continue the same workout every day, you will hit a plateau.

I recommend finding a good personal trainer to make sure that you are doing the exercises correctly so you don’t injure yourself and to help you find the best fit for your workout routine. If you have questions or want direction on your workout, feel free to talk to me about it at your next visit!

Be well,

Dr. Jennifer Beights
Wholistic Healing Chiropractic
(817)488-4466