Kenneth Cooper, M.D. has some advice for those who haven’t been exercising regularly.
He asks the question: What is the biggest mistake people make?
Starting too fast. It may have taken you 20 years to lose your conditioning, and yet you want to take 20 days to get it back.
Good advice. We’d all like to be in shape today. Yesterday would be even better.
But getting your body back in shape takes time.
It’s not just the muscles. The bones and ligaments and tendons need time to adapt.
And there’s also the matter of the metabolism, the hormones and enzymes and all the reactions that build and repair your body. These take some weeks to become fully efficient.
So how long should you take? If you’re over 40 years old:
If you have been off for six weeks or longer, it should take at least six weeks to get back to your original state of fitness. Shorter periods of being off require less time. A good guideline is one week of retraining for the number of weeks you were off.
It can be a little quicker if you are under 40. You may be able to get back in condition in 1/2 the time of the older folks.
So challenge yourself, but don’t overdo it. Take your workout down one level. If you were sprinting before, jog for a week or two until you feel your muscles starting to respond.
If you were jogging you’ll probably want to start off with walking. And don’t underestimate the advantages of walking.
Thirty minutes (an hour is better) of walking each day can make a tremendous difference in your physical and mental health.
http://www.usnews.com/health/blogs/health-advice/2010/01/12/whats-the-biggest-mistake-people-make-when-starting-a-fitness-program.html
