Healthy Weight Center

Work It Out

No workout regimen is perfect for every age, lifestyle or body type, so discovering what works best for you is important. The key ingredient to creating a successful workout plan is to identify what you want to focus on. It is important to understand what you?re working to achieve, whether it?s burning fat, increasing your endurance, decreasing your cholesterol or gaining muscle.

Here are some simple tips on how to create a personalized and effective workout plan:

Set a consistent exercise routine. Any exercise is better than none, but setting a consistent routine can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the long run. Additionally, your body will better adapt to everyday activities from walking the dog to carrying your groceries.

Choose both aerobic (such as walking or running) and anaerobic (such as weight-lifting) exercises to achieve better results.

Work out most days of the week. It is recommended that you exercise 150 minutes a week, or five 30 minutes sessions. You can also break your exercise sessions into smaller increments such as three 10 minutes walks a day.

Set measurable, realistic goals. Create a few short-term goals that lead up to one long-term goal.

Create a personal rewards program to keep you motivated. For example, after walking or running your first 5K, treat yourself to new workout gear.

Your personal workout plan should be tailored to your specific health goals and lifestyle demands. Before beginning a new workout plan, you should talk with your doctor about your current health and possible limitations.

This article originally appeared in The Ohio State University Medical Center's Heart Newsletter and is published with permission.

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Last Reviewed: May 03, 2010

Grant Gillette, MS
Former Exercise Physiology Technician
Center for Wellness and Prevention
Wexner Medical Center
The Ohio State University