Identifying Your Needs

Once you set your goals, you are ready to build a training program to reach those goals. Before you can do so, determine what you need to start the program and to help you stick with it. Basic needs include equipment and facilities, and may include classes, exercise partners, and community resources.

A good first step is to identify what facilities and equipment are available to you, which will help set some of the parameters of your exercise program. For instance, if there is a nearby YMCA with an arthritis aquatic program, you may decide to use that program for part of your aerobic regimen. I discuss other potential resources later in the book, but each community varies in the type and availability of resources.

To go back to a previous example, the golfer does not need much equipment to work on shoulder flexibility and so can do it at home. To improve endurance for walking nine holes of golf, however, a golfer has to walk or jog. If I were working with this person, I would ask questions such as, “Can you walk in your neighborhood? If so, will you? ” or, “Are you more likely to stick with a walking or jogging program if you do it on a treadmill? ”If a person wants to do a treadmill program, then is a treadmill available, either at home or in a nearby facility? I emphasize nearby, since one of the most common reasons cited by people for dropping out of an exercise program is inconvenience—either of getting to the facility or of getting into it and using the equipment. Sometimes a facility is available, but upon closer investigation you find that it is costly or constantly crowded. If you happen to be a senior, some facilities identify specific hours for seniors, during which time it may be less crowded.

Equipment needs vary, depending on your goals and the complexity of the program you design. For cardiovascular exercise, equipment can range from shoes to a treadmill. The most common apparatus used for aerobic exercise include treadmills, stationary cycles, and cross-country ski trainers. Some of the new devices on the market include elliptical trainers, stair steppers, and climbers. If you go to a facility, the site itself will determine the type of equipment you use. If you plan to buy equipment, you should try it out before you buy—some devices can cause increased lower-extremity symptoms. Knowing what to look for in a piece of equipment is important; some of the resources I have identified offer information about different apparatus. I will discuss the type of cardiovascular activities that I recommend in the next chapter.

An even wider range of equipment is available for resistance-training programs. At the simplest level, you need only your own body. Home program equipment can include elastic tubing, cuff weights, hand weights, and free weights. Some machines are available for home use, but people tend to use machines at facilities, because a greater assortment of exercises is available with the larger number of machines. The equipment in facilities also varies, so you need to pay close attention to what the place has to offer.