Starting at Zero

"How do I do it?" she asked, "How do I get fit again?"

She had been away from fitness for a long time. Years in fact, and she wanted to get started again, but she was afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of injury, afraid of not knowing what to do. So she did something smart. She asked for help.

Sometimes, you have to start from zero. The problem with that is you may not know how to start. I've known people who would not start going to a gym because they were intimidated to be there. Intimidated by not knowing how to use the machines, or not knowing how to plan their workout, or just by the idea that they had been sedentary for so long that they might hurt themselves by trying too hard.

I've seen people who were afraid to go to a trainer. They had watched too much of "The Biggest Loser" and thought that personal training was all about the trainers screaming and cursing and pushing the client to the point of tears or vomit whichever came first.

There is a way to start from zero, without all the reality show drama.

1. Make a choice to work towards a healthy lifestyle.

Rather than goals like, "lose 20 pounds" or "go down three sizes", make your goal to start living a healthy lifestyle. Losing the weight can be a part of that goal, but the main goal should be a healthy lifestyle. Try this phrase out, "I am setting a goal of losing 20 pounds as a part of my larger goal to live a healthy lifestyle." If your goal is just to lose the 20 pounds, it is too easy to quit working after that goal is met. Guess what happens then, that's right, the 20 pounds come back, and usually brings some additional friends along as well.

2. Get a doctor's clearance.

If you have been injured, or if you are very unfit, or have been sedentary for a long time, always get advice from a doctor before you start a new exercise program.

3. Find a trainer.

Let them know what your goals are, let them know you are starting from zero. Let them know about your aches and pains and physical complaints. A good trainer will start you from zero. Even if that means your first session is lying on your back relearning how to engage your core musculature, a good trainer will start you with what you need instead of the workout he or she wants to see people doing.

4. Hold your trainer accountable.

If, during any workout, you ask your trainer, "How does this workout fit in with my specific goals." and your trainer can't answer, it is time to find a new trainer. I have a friend who has years of experience lifting weights. He does olympic lifts and can put more than 300 pounds over his head. On a trial session with a trainer, the trainer had him squatting 95 pounds. My friend was not happy. The trainer never bothered to find out where he was starting from. In this situation the result was a frustrated client who never came back for another session. If it were to go the other way and someone who was unfit was put under a bar with 95 pounds on it, the result would have been much worse. Your trainer is not the boss. You are.

Don't shy away, the benefits to exercise are huge, and the drawbacks to remaining sedentary are injurious to your health, costly when the medical bills start coming in, and can take years off your life.

Get up and get moving today.