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How to get and keep going

Exercise physiologist Cedric Bryant and the American Council of Exercise offer these tips:

Put safety first. Ask your doctor before starting vigorous exercise, especially if you're a man over 45 or a woman over 55. But don't use a medical concern as an excuse not to exercise. Ask your doctor to help determine which type and amount of exercise is best for you.

Start low and go slow. Give your body time to build tolerance to exercise. If you do too much too soon, you can injure yourself. Nothing can derail an exercise habit like excessive soreness or an injury.

Make it a priority. Schedule "exercise appointments" like you would other important activities so workouts aren't squeezed out. Busy people seem more likely to maintain a consistent exercise habit if they work out first thing in the morning.

Find a workout partner. You're more likely to exercise if you commit to meeting someone. A partner can inspire you to push yourself a little bit harder on days when your motivation is low.

Adhere to the "talk test." As a rule, exercise should feel no more than "somewhat hard." If you can't carry on a conversation during exercise, you're probably working too hard.

Always warm up and cool down. Avoid sudden strenuous physical exertion and abrupt cessation of vigorous exercise. Warming up helps prepare your body for the "stress" of exercise and cooling down gradually returns your cardiovascular system to a "normal" level.

Count your steps. Consider purchasing a pedometer. It can motivate you to move more. Inactive people walk between 2,000 and 4,000 steps per day while highly active individuals take 10,000 or more steps per day.

Mix it up. Arguably the two most common saboteurs to maintaining an exercise habit are injury and boredom. To avoid both, cross-train. One of the easiest ways to do that is alternate between activities (e.g., run one day, strength train the next, cycle the next). You can also alternate activities within a single workout.

Do what you like. You're much more likely to keep exercising if you enjoy it. Ultimately, the best exercise is one you'll keep doing.

Eat properly and stay hydrated. Your body needs these fuels to build muscle and repair damaged tissue.

— Richard Seven

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