Only the beginning!

Tomorrow is the end of the 30-day challenge for my English class. I feel pretty good about the success I have had with the challenge, and I consider this just the beginning of my resistance training experience. I am in it for the long haul, as part of my plan to get healthy and stay healthy. I'll be hitting the weights Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday this week, and I'll likely follow that schedule for the rest of the semester.

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the US Department of Health and Human Services, recommend muscle strengthening exercises for all muscle groups on two or more days a week in addition to a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for all healthy adults. That's just to maintain a standard of health. For those (like me) who are working toward a healthy weight and improved strength, these guidelines recommend 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. The nurse practitioner at the BSU Health Center recommended that I work up to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise a day, five days a week minimum, which I have trouble sticking to some days because I'm a master of procrastination and making excuses. I'm going to keep working at it. I have improved my walking pace, but I still need to work on walking longer - especially on the days I'm not at the gym. 10 to 15 minutes at a time is a good start, as long as I get up to a total of 45 minutes or more for the day, but it's far better (and more efficient!) to have continuous exercise for the full 45 to 60 minutes.

Question of the day: What are your fitness goals?

My short-term goal is to get a minimum of 45 minutes aerobic exercise on each of five days this week (Tuesday-Saturday), in addition to sticking to my resistance training schedule. One of my long(er)-term goals is to become fit enough to start running.