Personalizing Your Program

Personalizing your program means more than deciding if you will walk or swim, or if your program will start with the lowest intensity or a slightly higher one. It means adjusting the aerobic program that you believe you need to fit your lifestyle, available facilities, and personal needs or desires. I will provide some examples of personalized programs, but each person will have unique needs and wants.

An acquaintance personalized her program by combining a bicycling program with a swimming program. On Tuesday and Thursday, she does an evening lap swim at the local indoor pool. She bicycles to work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday when the weather is decent, or does stationary cycling on evenings when cycling outdoors is not an option. She also likes to hike on weekends, adding a nice social activity while she gets some aerobic exercise.

My father likes to be flexible with his program, adjusting it to match the weather and his other activities. When he goes to the gym in the winter and early spring, he does stationary cycling for approximately 15 minutes and then walks on the treadmill for about the same time. After this aerobic exercise, he completes a weight program that we set up. He walks outside or cycles around the lake if the weather is decent. In the summer, he regularly walks 9 holes of golf and often takes additional walks. He prefers a home strengthening program when the weather is good, because it is easier to fit into his varied schedule.

If you are not in the habit of being active, I suggest that you write out your program and keep an exercise log. You can still personalize the routine to fit your schedule, but writing it out and using a log helps you stay on track. By analyzing your normal daily schedule, you can identify times during which you may have to adjust or vary your exercise routine. For example, if you work full time and have a standing meeting on Wednesday evenings, you can mark Wednesday as a rest day or perhaps opt for short walks in the morning and at lunch instead of exercising after work. I usually exercise after work, but on Fridays I used to have a standing lunchtime run with a friend. This gave me some social time as well as varying my routine. During the summer I adjust my schedule by not working out on Tuesday, which is my golf league day (I always walk the course).

Personalizing your program helps take it from a “have to” to a “want to” program and improves the chance of you sticking with it over the long run. It is also not a one-time adjustment. As you progress, you will not only modify your program's intensity and duration but also work in other exercise options. Perhaps you participate in a seasonal sport, such as golf, or you get involved with a group that exercises together as a social activity. In my town, a group of people meets every weekend at a local restaurant to walk, jog, or run. They come from all over town and are of varied fitness and talent. This weekly get-together is a fun social activity that reinforces their exercise programs.

The information and examples in this chapter all focus on cardiovascular exercise. The next component of exercise (identified in chapter 1) is strength. I have alluded to the importance of strength in everyday activities. In chapter 4, I will address the basic requirements of a strength-training regimen, types of strength-training programs, and some basic safety guidelines. Strength training is not just for young athletes; it is vital to everyone s exercise program.

ACTION PLAN: ADDING AEROBIC ACTIVITY