Important Exercise Tips for Better Health

One of the best things that patients at our Costa Mesa medical clinic can do to prevent future health problems is to remember to regularly exercise. Healthy exercise boosts the immune system, helps with weight loss, gives exercisers more energy, and is one of the best ways to prevent chronic health problems later in life. To get the best results from their exercise routines, we recommend sticking to the following steps:

• Be consistent – No matter how intensive your exercise routine is, it’s important to be consistent. Whether you’re doing an intensive weightlifting routine or just walking on a treadmill for 20 minutes, sticking with a regular schedule will give you much better results than following an inconsistent one.
• Be realistic – One of the quickest ways to fall out of exercising is to set unrealistic goals for yourself. If you’ve never regularly run before, you’re not going to be running a marathon any time soon. When starting an exercise routine, figure out what your limits are and start there. If you stick with it, your strength and endurance will increase, and you’ll be able to go further in time.
• Have an exercise buddy – When you exercise alone, you’re more likely to miss dates, procrastinate, or skip exercises. By doing your running, swimming, or other exercising with a friend or family member, you’ll be more likely to stick with your routine. Exercise partners can encourage each other, keep an eye on one another, and just generally make exercising more fun.
• Pick activities that you like – Nothing will discourage you from exercising more than thinking of it as an obligation rather than something you enjoy. If you don’t like running by yourself, try playing baseball, football, or another sport that involves running but that you find more interesting. If you don’t enjoy going to the gym, find other physical activities that give your body a similar workout to weightlifting and other gym activities.
• Incorporate exercise into your life – Don’t look at exercise as a disruptive element. Instead, work your exercise schedule into your daily life. If you have a set time when you are usually doing sedentary activity, do some sit-ups at that time instead. If you get a lunch break at work, go for a walk instead of staying at your desk. Even just using little moments of downtime in your life to do some physical activity can help.
• Ask a professional – If you’re just getting started with exercise, there’s no shame in getting professional advice. Even if you can’t afford a personal trainer, asking one for some suggestions will help you pick a routine that fits your needs and your abilities. You can also ask more experienced exercisers or read articles online. There are many free resources available for people trying to figure out the perfect exercise routine for their life, and there’s no shame in using them!

Looking for more information on healthy living? Stop by Xpress Urgent Care and speak with one of our care providers today, or call 949-548-8400.