Make exercise a part of your life

Expectations about exercise -- and reality -- often don’t match. Those who have resolved to get fit in 2005 will likely underestimate the time it takes to get in shape and the effort involved. They also are likely to overlook the real -- and perceived -- barriers to exercise in a world that increasingly engineers activity out of daily life.

There’s also the misguided assumption that workouts increase weight loss.

“People think that they will lose all this weight with exercise,” said John Jakicic, chair of the department of health and physical activity at the University of Pittsburgh. “But in the short run, activity will have very little effect on weight. Six to eight weeks later, they’re feeling frustrated and think ‘I’ve been working my tail off, but I’m not really working my tail off.’ When they don’t get the results they expected, they quit.”

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Jakicic and other exercise physiologists have found plenty of simple ways to help you start -- and stick with -- a fitness routine. Here’s what they recommend:

*

Find an activity you love

You might think you should jog, but if you hate running, you won’t stick with it for long. “The best activity,” notes Jakicic, “is the one you do, not the one you think you will do.”

*

Go slowly

Too much too soon is one of the most common mistakes. It’s a recipe for sore muscles and injuries that are likely to undermine your efforts.

“Everybody wants to start up with everything, so the body is overwhelmed,” says William Kraemer, professor of exercise physiology at the University of Connecticut. “You have to crawl before you can walk and build the exercise habit.”

How slowly should you go? Figure on just 20 minutes a day the first two weeks, especially if you are 30 or older.

“Once you hit 30 to 40, you can’t get in shape in two weeks anymore,” says Kraemer, who recommends starting “with different workouts, some that are very easy to do so that you can feel very accomplished.”

*

Wait for the weights

Starting everything at once -- cardiovascular, weight training, dieting -- is a program for failure, Kraemer says. Begin weight training about four weeks into your new routine. “Start lifting twice a week for about two to three weeks,” he says.

*

Get some home equipment

Sure, there’s always a risk that your stationary bike could become an expensive clothes rack. But Jakicic and his colleagues at Pitt find that people who have home exercise equipment are more likely to stay active. In one study, participants who were given treadmills were more apt to be working out 18 months later than those without equipment.

*

Proximity counts

So by all means, join a gym, sign up for a Pilates class or get a personal trainer. Just be sure that whatever you do is very close to your home, office or school. And take advantage of free stuff nearby. Studies suggest that people who live near parks and recreation centers stay more active than those who don’t.

*

Develop a plan

It’s not enough to say you want to get fit. You need a regular routine that makes a workout as much of a habit as brushing your teeth. Research suggests that setting aside the same time daily for one specific activity leads to the greatest success. “Don’t fly by the seat of your pants or say, ‘One day I’ll do this, one day I’ll do that,’ ” Jakicic says. “Have a very specific plan.”

*

Find a partner

People who enlist support for their workout efforts do better for the long haul. Jakicic has found that men stick with exercise longer when they have a supportive wife. Women go the distance when they enlist support from a non-family member, be it an exercise buddy or a baby sitter.

Exercise physiologists also recommend getting your gear and clothes in shape. Scrambling to find your workout gear in the morning before you head out the door won’t make your life easier.

And don’t expect change to occur overnight. “Infomercials are completely misleading,” Kraemer says. “If it was that easy, there wouldn’t be anyone around us who looked fat.”