Fitness: A physical fitness specialist tells how to start an exercise program then make that exercise program a part of your life. Exercise for life is your rx for health and fitness.

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Fitness and Health

Starting an Exercise Program for Health and Fitness

Interview with Brandon Jackson by BJ Johnson

Fitness: An exercise program can be started anytime in your life and there is no time like to day to start that exercise program for health and fitness.

The role of fitness in health: 

Brandon Jackson, Personalized Fitness Specialist, PFS, gave the following tips for starting an exercise program and making it part of your life.

Jackson said, "Exercise is a form of wellness. It is preventative maintenance for aging. The more healthy we are as we age, the fewer problems we will have. Of course, exercise is also relaxing."

Jackson continued, "And the time to begin that exercising is now. Wherever you are in your fitness regime now, whether you have a routine and need to improve it or have none at all, now is the time to start an exercise program!

He warned, "You should always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program, of course. As long as your doctor agrees, you are never too old to start an exercise routine."

Jackson suggested starting slowly and beginning a minimum exercise program for people of any age. That fitness program includes weight training and aerobic exercise.

He believes everyone should work their muscles with weights for a total body workout at least twice a week. This should be combined with 40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least four times per week.

Cardiovascular exercise should include five minutes each of warm up and cool down plus thirty minutes of exercise at your correct aerobic heart rate.

Why use a personal trainer? A personal trainer can help you in many ways:

• A trainer will start by discussing your goals and help you reach these goals.
• As long as you provide your trainer with adequate feed-back, he/she can teach you to exercise correctly while avoiding injury.
• A good trainer will help you with diet and nutrition, cardiovascular exercise, and weight training.
• He/she should be able to give you an honest estimate of how long it will take you to reach your goals.

When asked how long it would take to see results. Jackson replied, "After three months you should see a difference in the way your clothes fit. You should definitely feel it in your motivation, your energy level, and your metabolism."

What about losing weight?

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He said, "Dense muscle fiber burns calories which will help you lose weight in the long run. In the short run, however, muscle weighs more than fat so you might even gain weight at first. Therefore, if you must use scales, weigh only once a month. It is better to use the way your clothes fit and feel plus your mirror as indicators of how many inches you are losing."

If you have been putting off a healthy exercise program, start exercising now. That is the only way to gain fitness.

Brandon Jackson is a Personalized Fitness Specialist, PFS, in Texas.

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