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Exercise: How to Do It Right

Exercising every day doesn't accomplish anything and may even hurt you if you're not doing it right. In order to gain benefits from working out, it must be done correctly.

When you first begin any type of exercise, you have to "teach" your body by making gradual changes. Discipline is a fundamental factor. Working out often, intensively and with dedication is not the same as working out because we've run out of excuses not to. Frequency (the number of times a week), intensity (low, moderate or high) and the amount of time we exercise each time, are factors we should always take into account when evaluating whether we are working out correctly.

Exercise: How to Do It Right

Start gradually

It's highly recommended to exercise five times a week for 30 minutes, each session starting at a low intensity.

If you can't exercise five days a week due to a lack of time or or to exhaustion, try working out three days a week, every other day.

In the beginning, before you've established a routine, it's normal to tire before completing 30 minutes of exercise even if you're working out at a low intensity. In this case, it's best to stop exercising before reaching the exhaustion point. Try to "listen" to your body.

At a good pace

Start off doing physical activity at your own pace and stop when you feel tired. When you are able to run the same distance you started with without becoming tired, then increase the distance but not the speed. Later, try increasing the speed without increasing the distance. This way you only make changes to one of the three factors at a time.

In order to exercise correctly, wear clothing and shoes that are appropriate for the type of activity you're going to do. This is not only necessary for enjoying your workout, but also for avoiding unnecessary problems such as injuries or dehydration.

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