April 11, 2011

Exercising again can be difficult after a long winter of staying indoors. For this week's segment Martha Jefferson Healthwise, CSB19's Stephanie Satchell highlights the best way to get back in the habit of working out.

"I think the best rule of thumb is sort of to not expect that you're going to be at the same level as you were when you finished exercising in the fall if you left off," said Susan Heald, a Physical Therapist at the Martha Jefferson Outpatient Care Center. Heald says it is important to start off slowly.

"Just get back in gradually. If you're used to doing 45 minutes of something maybe cut back your time by half," said Heald. "Start from there and see how you feel." No matter what kind of a routine you are doing, Heald says a routine should focus on cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility.

"If somebody likes walking for exercise, make sure that they're doing the walking for the cardiovascular [exercise], but including some flexibility exercises, preferably to be done after the walking and then strengthen components," suggest Heald. "Like weights, resistive bands or even just using your body weight for gaining muscle strength."

It is also important to buy new shoes before you begin working out.

"Because how your foot hits the ground and how supported it is is gonna be very important not just for the health of your foot but the health of all your joints," said Heald. "If you're wearing shoes you've worn for a couple of years, it's probably time to get a new pair," Working out after slacking off can be difficult, but experts say it will become easier over time.