If you are one of the many people who have resolved to have a workout regimen in the new year, congratulations! It’s a great goal.

As physical therapists, we see many people start a workout regimen only to be sidelined by pain and injuries. It happens, we get it. But you don’t have to have pain or an injury when exercising. In fact, if you do, it can usually be fixed by physical therapy or modifying your workout regimen.

Since we want you to have success in 2021 with a workout regimen, we are offering some tips to those new to a regular exercise program. Follow these steps and we bet you’ll find yourself with consistent progress and success.

Start slow

Lots of people go all out on January 1, hitting the gym, lacing up their running shoes or doing whatever physical activity they chose – but haven’t done in a while. That’s almost always a sure-fire way to hurt yourself or burn out. It’s best to start slow and don’t over do it. Chances are, you might have aged a bit since your last go at regular exercise, so you’ll need to take extra time – making sure to do a dynamic warm up and don’t just start working out cold.

Have a plan

Don’t be that person wandering aimlessly around the gym – or randomly scrolling a workout app – on January 1. Have a plan! Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s actually relatively simple to put together a good workout. A simple exercise plan includes: A squatting exercise, a pushing exercise, a pulling exercise and a rotation exercise. That’s it! Add in some walking or other cardio and you’ve got a solid plan.

Stretch

Once your workout is done, you probably are just ready to hit the showers and get on with your day. Wrong! Just like you need to warm up before moving, you need to cool down and stretch after working out. The best way to do that is to do some static stretching after moving.

And expect some soreness afterwards. You shouldn’t be in excruciating pain, but you will likely have some mild muscle soreness.

If you’re still not sure how to put together a body-friendly, goal-oriented work out, give us a shout, we’re more than happy to help!

Beacon Physical Therapy

At Beacon Physical Therapy, we want to help you live a happy, healthy life – that includes regular exercise. If you are having an issue, make an appointment today. We’d love to meet you and help you find ways to keep doing what you love.