Taking the first step in exercising is quite hard. Not only it seemed daunting, but also it can be challenging for an aging body such as ours. But once you get hooked on it, there’s no stopping you. When you think getting started is hard, wait until somebody points out those exercise hazards you’ve been taking unconsciously.

I would like to think that exercising is a constant challenge for the body. In this day and age, it seems that nobody is getting an adequate load of physical work hence the need to really go out of your way just to satisfy your body’s needs. Also, upon observation, I find that the body indeed memorizes your everyday physical demands such as when you hop on the bus, your body will instruct one-by-one all those involved parts of your body to complete the task. Notice how your right or left hand automatically reaches out for the bars to support your body when climbing, or how your left or right foot automatically steps up the ladder. These “automatic” actions are your body’s most comfortable movement and sadly, exercising is not because you don’t do it everyday unless you’re an athlete or exercising is a way of life for you.

It is highly recommended for seniors to train under the watchful eyes of a certified fitness instructor, no matter how proud you are of your capabilities. Everyday, the fitness world undergoes evolution and new equipments are introduced for the market to test. It only goes to say that new equipments pose new challenges as well and if there’s no one to keep an eye on you while you train, you’ll only increase your risk of being injured by these machines. Here are some points you need to consider while exercising:

·    Be very weary of new and complicated machines. When a new equipment comes in, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to use them at once. Give it some time and observe how people use it. When trying it out for the first time, be sure that your physical instructor is right there beside you.
·    Cardios are intense and it can be very challenging to a weary body. When a routine is making your body unable to support its weight, then might as well stop while you can. Cardio is done to make the heart go faster and so does your body’s metabolism rate, overdoing it will defeat the purpose all together.
·    Maintain a proper form when exercising. Many have fallen in this unavoidable trap just because longtime gym-going fellows think they already have perfected their forms while in reality their bodies only adjusted to the demand but never adapted the proper form. Lifting too much weight which your body finds it impossible to accommodate will only result to irreversible injuries. Lift only that is proper for your body.
·    Targeting your abdominals when you already have back problems is serious. Instead go for exercises that strengthen the whole core, namely the sides, back, and abdominals. Crunches are too strenuous for your back, opt for other alternatives instead.
·    Always remember to do warm-ups and cool-downs before and after doing routines.