Getting in Shape

If a sedentary lifestyle is taking its toll, a dedicated fitness plan can mean a better body and improved health.

It’s not about eliminating jelly bellies and thunder thighs, or even looking good in a bathing suit or fitting into super skinny jeans. In reality, getting in shape means that you’ve primed your body to perform certain physical tasks with relative ease. Whether you want to run a marathon or simply play with your kids, your body needs physical conditioning to perform these activities without getting winded and fatigued.

Getting in shape is not as difficult—or as dull—as it may sound. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular aerobic exercise can lead to a multitude of health benefits, including a stronger immune system, improved mood and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. According to one study published in the Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, improved fitness may even lead to better sex—another heart-pumping endeavor!

However, few of us actually go through the motions to condition our bodies: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, seven out of 10 Americans don’t exercise regularly. But once you start a fitness plan—and stick with it—you’ll notice a significant change not only in your appearance, but in your overall health.

So tie on some supportive sneakers, slip into some comfortable workout clothes and get ready to build a solid fitness foundation!

“Getting in Shape” Defined

According to the Center for Disease Control, the components of physical fitness include cardio-respiratory endurance, which encompasses your body’s ability to provide fuel during sustained physical activity; muscular strength; muscular endurance, which is a measure of how long your muscles can perform without fatigue; body composition, which takes into account the amount of fat, muscle and tissue you have in your body; and flexibility, your body’s range of motion.

That means the first 30 days of getting in shape should include a significant amount of exercise and a change in your diet in order for your body to perform at its peak. Unfortunately, the thought of all that work stops some would-be exercisers in their tracks, especially people who have already tried getting in shape without success.

“Past experiences with working out might put fitness on the bottom of the totem pole,” says fitness instructor Bob Reilly. “If you’ve been unsuccessful at adhering to a fitness program, you might have to turn off the internal script that challenges your ability to succeed.”

Changing your mental script is the most important—and difficult—thing to do in the early days of a new workout plan. Become your own cheerleader: The key to your fitness success comes with believing in the changes you’re making and being determined to reach your goal.

Changing her internal script helped Bianca Newman* from Massapequa, NY, get in shape. Bianca was a talented athlete throughout high school, playing volleyball, soccer and lacrosse competitively. Once she went to college, her fitness level deteriorated and she started smoking cigarettes. “I was worried I would never get in shape again,” she explains. “But I finally made up my mind that I would work as much as I could to get in shape. I knew I had to do it and keep going to my goal.”

Your Workout Plan

Before you slip on your sneakers, you’ll need to formulate a workout plan. If you have no idea where to start, getting professional help is the easiest course of action. “People often fail because they don’t have a plan,” explains Carol Espel, national director for group fitness programming at New York’s Equinox Fitness Clubs. “A trainer can give you a safe, manageable, personalized routine that fits into your lifestyle, goals and preferences.”

If you can’t afford a trainer, getting in shape is still doable. Start with a baseline assessment of your physical ability: Try timing yourself while you walk or run a mile, or do as many sit-ups as you can in one minute. If you want to test yourself, albeit against relatively high standards, try the Army Physical Fitness test and see where your abilities rank among others your age. For a more accessible measurement, try The President’s Challenge, which is used to measure the health of students. Don’t be embarrassed by your results; vow to improve your abilities little by little and you’ll surprise yourself.

Once you know your starting point, you can create your own workout plan. You can begin by setting a fitness goal for yourself. Do you dream of swimming competitively or do you need to be able to keep up with your kids? Clearly articulate this goal and repeat it to yourself every day or write it down and post it in a highly visible area. This is your motivation and will keep you going on days when you feel like giving up. Also, when you’re formulating your goal, give yourself an adequate amount of time to reach it. Be realistic—you can’t train for a triathlon in two months.

Here’s where the exercise part comes in. Both the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sport Medicine suggest that novice exercisers begin with three, one-hour exercise sessions per week. These should combine 20 minutes of aerobic exercise (running, swimming, biking), 30 minutes of strength training (lifting weights or performing toning exercises) and ten minutes of balance and flexibility (stretching). The key to getting in shape is to push your body to the point where it’s able to handle the level of physical activity you perform, then challenged by increasingly intense lengths of exertion.

Bianca started her workout plan by walking in her neighborhood. “I could only walk a mile at first. I couldn’t run,” she says. Once she noticed that her body became used to walking a mile, she raised the bar. “Gradually, I worked my way up to walking two miles, then three. Then I started jogging.”

To ensure your body is performing at its peak, monitor your heart rate while you exercise. By keeping your heart rate up in the training zone, you’ll have a pretty good gauge as to whether you’re working out at the right intensity. The American Heart Association has a chart that describes where your heart rate should be for optimal physical conditioning.

Aside from incorporating your new workout plan into your routine during the first 30 days, you should try to incorporate fitness into every aspect of your life. This is especially important for office workers like Madeline Brenner, who works at a law office and has little time to go to the gym. “I was pulling all-nighters, and that was having a negative effect on my health,” she explains. When she realized that her co-workers’ fitness levels were also deteriorating, she called Donna, her favorite gym instructor, to come into the office and teach a fitness class.

Donna held classes in the firm’s conference room, advising employees about staying in shape. “I wanted them to understand that they needed to do more than take one class a week—they needed to change their lifestyles,” she says. She encouraged them to take staircase-walking breaks instead of coffee breaks, suggested they sit on stability balls instead of chairs at their desks and advised them on stretching techniques they could perform throughout the day.

Soon enough, everyone in the office noticed an increase in their personal fitness levels. “I began to notice that everyone’s productivity had improved. Thanks to our workouts, we were able to focus on our work,” Madeline explains.

Getting in Shape: Slow and Spicy

Unfortunately, some novice exercisers are overly ambitious and immediately begin a workout plan that’s too hard on their bodies. “People jump in too hard, too fast,” explains Espel. “They become sore or injured and they don’t come back. Working harder is not better. You don’t have to do a lot to get the benefits, but anything worthwhile won’t be super easy. You’ll have good days and bad days, and you won’t have immediate results.”

James Cooper*, a member of Donna’s fitness class, wanted to increase his fitness level, but he suffered from arthritis, which meant that he couldn’t run without pain. Determined to get in shape, he took it a bit slower and enrolled in a race-walking program. “Race-walking was the best thing I ever did for my body,” he says. “The non-impact movements actually help my arthritis, and I’m in the best aerobic shape of my life.”

By taking it slowly, your body can adjust to your exercise routine. In order to stay in shape, you’ll have to constantly challenge your muscles to work harder. One way to do this is to change up your routine regularly. If you usually run or use an elliptical machine, try a water aerobics or yoga class, instead.

Variety helped Jill Stevens spice up her workout plan. Though she was pleased with the physical results she achieved from taking her Pilates class, the routine was always the same. When a friend suggested taking a class with a local instructor who conducted Pilates classes using a stability ball and BOSU ball (a rubber hemisphere used for balance), Jill gave the class a try. While the class used the same philosophy as her traditional class, it was more varied and more fun. Jill now takes both Pilates classes on a regular basis. “Now I look forward to every workout because I’m never bored,” she says. “The ball and BOSU also use brand new muscles that I never knew I had!”

The Motivation Equation

When it comes to staying in shape beyond the first 30 days, the statistics are not encouraging: According to the American College of Sports Medicine, at least 50% of all people who begin a workout plan lose motivation and drop out after six months. That doesn’t mean you won’t get in shape—it just means you have to work hard to maintain your commitment to your workout plan. And since getting in shape will likely take longer than 30 days to accomplish, you’ll need to motivate yourself for the long haul.

“Many people have trouble staying motivated once they begin a fitness program,” explains fitness trainer Beverly Richardson. “Some people have expectations that are too high. They believe that everything in their lives will magically improve once they get in shape. Others feel that once they’ve taken a few days off, they’ve broken the fitness habit and might as well give it up.” Richardson notes that staying realistic about your goals and your abilities can keep you motivated to succeed.

Also, having a workout buddy can be a great motivator, as well. “You’re less likely to cancel workouts if you know that your friend is going to be standing there waiting for you,” Espel advises.

Bianca worked with her mom to stay on track with her fitness plan. “She walked with me and taught me how to eat right,” she says. Bianca hopes to run a mini-marathon in the next year.

Another way to maintain your motivation is to keep your workouts fun. Too often, people dread exercise, and that can quickly lead to ignoring the workout plan altogether. “Fitness novices should focus on changing their mindset from ‘going to the gym’ to ‘going out to play,’ ” says Alex Chemerov, co-owner of the outdoor training program Discovermovement.com.

To keep it fun, try acting like a kid. That’s what Susan Fischer did when she couldn’t find a fitness center with an affordable childcare program. Instead, she included her kids in her fitness plan, playing hopscotch, tag or hide-and-go-seek instead of watching them play. “Fitness is now a family affair,” beams Susan.

Remember that as with most life changes, the first 30 days of getting in shape are just the beginning. You may not see results quickly, but over time your efforts will show. Just think of how great it will feel to hike through rugged terrain, bike through your neighborhood or even walk for hours through your favorite amusement park while enjoying the scenery—not wondering if your heart will last.

*name(s) changed.