My Fitness Plan: Getting Started

My Fitness Plan - Getting Started!

Exercise is good for you in many different ways. It can help you maintain a healthy weight, and boost your overall energy level. Also, if you’re stressed or anxious, regular exercise can help improve your mood.

Making exercise fun is the key to keeping it an ongoing part of your life. This guide includes three worksheets to help you figure out which types of exercise you’ll enjoy most, and how to get started with them.

So here we go! Grab a pen, and start by printing and filling out this first worksheet. Here you'll figure out what feelings and goals can motivate you, what activities you actually like to do and how you can free up time for fitness.

Click here for a printer-friendly version!

Worksheet 1 - Focus on Fitness

Concept	Actions
My Fitness Motivators and Health Benefits Think of some positive motivators that make you want to improve your fitness. What are some ways your life will get better? Check off and write in your top motivators and benefits.	Have more energy Release stress from my body Develop a healthier and stronger heart Manage my weight Improve my PCOS symtoms _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
My Everyday Activities You can move your body more by increasing your everyday activities, like walking instead of getting a ride. Check off some of your favorite everyday activities and write in some favorites too.	Walk instead of taking the bus or driving Take the stairs instead of the elevator Clean my room with extra zing _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
My Other Physical Activities Other ways of exercising are physical activities like riding your bike or playing a sport. These activities require more of your energy. Check off some other physical activities you enjoy, or write them in..	Ride my bike instead of getting a ride Dance to your favorite tunes _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
My Time to Get Fit To exercise more than you already are, you need to make room in your busy schedule. Think about where you can fit in a few extra workouts. Check off or add some strategies that will help you make time for fitness.	Mark work-out dates on your calendar Mix social & fitness — exercise with a friend Add one more workout per week Cut TV and internet time in half _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
My Fitness Goals Having clear goals can be a great motivator, and help you keep you focused. Check off or write in your top three fitness goals for the next month.	Learn a new sport Try a new dance or aerobics class Use the Fun Fitness program in this guide Try an exercise video tape or DVD Join a sports team Start a walking club with friends Be active and get fresh air Improve my self esteem Take good care of my health Have fun with fitness _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
Good job! You’ve finished your worksheet! Now you’re on your way to getting started with your new fitness program. Keep this sheet where you can see it every day, to help you stay focused on your goals.

Worksheet 2 - Fun Fitness

Our Fun Fitness program includes three sections to get you going with different areas of fitness.

Stretch It exercises keep you flexible, relax you, and can help prevent injuries, like pulling a muscle from reaching too far.

Move It has aerobic activities to help keep your heart strong, and manage your insulin levels and your weight.

Tone It has strength exercises to build strong and active muscles and increase your metabolism, so your body does a better job burning food for energy.

This worksheet shows exercises from each of the Fun Fitness sections. Check off the ones you want to try, and use the extra lines to fill in related exercises you’d like to do. Remember to pick activities that are safe and within your fitness level. You can include exercises you learned on a sports team, in gym class, or from a certified personal trainer. Be sure to choose items from each column, for a balanced workout.

Click here for a printer-friendly version!

Worksheet 2 - Fun Fitness
Stretch It	Move It	Tone It
Upper Body Bicep Tricep Chest Upper Back Cross Shoulder Middle Body Back Abdominal Waist Reach Lower Body Hamstring Inner Thigh Outer Thigh Quadricep Lunge _________________ _________________ _________________	Hiking Biking Power Walking (walking at a faster than normal pace, but not quite a running speed) Jumping Rope Dancing Soccer Aerobics Class* Tennis Field Hockey Kick Boxing Kick Ball Running Track Volleyball Basket Ball Skiing Ice Hockey Ice Skating Step Aerobics * Yoga * Pilates * _________________ _________________ _________________ * Try these in a class, or at home with a tape or DVD.	Upper Body Overhead Shoulder Press Chest Press Bent Knee Push Up Bicep Curl Tricep Extension Middle Body Sit Up Isometric Sit Up Side Twist Sit Up Front Arm Raise Lower Body Inner Thigh Lift Outer Thigh Lift Power Lift Kick Squat Calf Lift _________________ _________________ _________________
Great! – You’ve hand-picked the exercises you’d like to try. The last step toward getting your fitness program going is to add these activities into your weekly calendar. The third worksheet will help with planning and scheduling.

Worksheet 3 - Planning for Fitness

Click here for a printer-friendly version!

In order to really do the activities you’ve chosen, you have to make time for them. This worksheet will help you plan your fitness schedule so exercising becomes part of your weekly routine.

Look back at your completed Worksheet 2 – Fun Fitness. Go column by column, and copy your fitness items into the calendar below. Think about which activities will work best on which days and what are good times for the different activities. Also, be sure to create a balance between stretching, moving, and toning. You don’t have to do all three in one day, but schedule your week so you’re not doing only one type of exercise.

After you’ve created your fitness schedule on this worksheet, it’s a good idea to mark the days that you plan to exercise on your own calendar or planner. Put this worksheet someplace where you’ll see it everyday, as a reminder of what’s coming up.

Day	Date and Time	Activity
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Congratulations! You thought about what motivates you. You’ve selected different fun fitness activities, and you’ve planned your exercise goals. By completing these three worksheets, you’ve taken a big step towards becoming healthier and fit. Be proud of yourself, and keep up the good work!

Written by the Center for Young Women's Health Staff

Updated 1/11/2008

Related Information:

Looking for other health info? Check our A-to-Z Index.

About Us Contact Us Disclaimer Privacy Policy Terms of Use

Health Guides By Topic Health Guides A-to-Z Guías de la Salud A-a-Z

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.