1) Just get Dressed
If you find yourself not wanting to work out, start with baby steps. Make a deal with yourself to just put on your workout clothes (or even just get them together). Tell yourself if you’re just going to put them on. Chances are if you put them on, you will at least be able to talk yourself into the next step, which is to work out for five minutes. Again, the chances are that if you can talk yourself into working out for five minutes, you will probably go ahead and finish the workout anyway. If you are bored with your routine, get a personal trainer to mix things up. A good personal trainer should be able to keep coming up with new workouts to keep things fun.

2) Running Shoes
You should have at least two pairs of running shoes. Let’s call them pair A and pair B. If you wear pair A today, next time wear pair B. Giving the shoes a day off can help keep their cushioning ability from breaking down so quick. Most running shoes should only be kept until you’ve put about 500 miles on them. That means if you have two pairs of shoes, and you are running 15 to 20 miles per week, replace them about once per year. And stagger that too. For example, replace one pair in April and the other in September. The shoes may still feel good, but trust me, the cushioning ability only lasts about 500 miles. Before you throw them away, show them to your personal trainer. A good personal trainer should be able to examine the wear patterns of the shoe and make recommendations that can prevent injuries.

3) Protect your Tendons
If you are just beginning to lift weights, don’t go too heavy too soon. It is common to be able to lift much heavier weights in a very short time. For example, it is not uncommon for someone who has trouble bench presseing 100 pounds on the first workout to be able to lift 130 or 140 within month or two. The fact is their muscles didn’t grow enough yet to get that much stronger. What happens first is that the nervous system gets better at firing the muscles, so when your brain says lift, your nervous system learns to fire all of those muscles now better. The tendons don’t get strong quickly. It’s wise to not do any one rep max lifts for the first couple of months. Olympic lifts are even harder on your tendons (Olympic lifts are done explosively, where the weight is violently jerked off the floor, as in the clean and jerk). Work up to them slowly. Never attempt Olympic lifts unless a qualified personal trainer has taught you all of the safety points.


4) Exercising Outside
If you are going to exercise outside, you need to make sure you are prepared for the heat or cold. If it’s hot out, dress in clothes that are made of a light colored, breathable fabric that wicks the moisture away. Wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock as necessary. Drink enough water to stay well hydrated. If it’s cold, dress in layers that you can easily remove. Be careful of running on slippery surfaces like ice and snow. It’s best to start out slow. Keep your first outdoor workouts to 10 minutes or so. Gradually add a few more minutes each workout, as your body gets used to the conditions. And have fun!

5) Make some Adjustments
If you are working with weight machines, don’t forget to adjust the machine to fit you. Have a good personal trainer show you how to set up the machine so that all of the alignments are biomechanically correct. If you work with a personal trainer, here is a test to see if your trainer is any good. If your personal trainer doesn’t adjust the machine’s seat, backrest, etc to fit you before asking you to perform the lift, run away! That person is a bad personal trainer.