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How to Develop Your Own Aerobic Exercise Program

You don't have to join a gym or an organized aerobic exercise program to reap the many benefits of aerobic activity. In fact, you might prefer to design your own aerobic exercise program including the types of activities you truly enjoy as well as taking into account your schedule and your present level of health and fitness.

The first thing you should do before you start an aerobic exercise program is to assess your fitness level. You may decide to start with your physician and get a complete physical and discuss which activities might be best for you. Or you may have already been physically active for some time and just looking for a change. At any rate, assess your level of health and fitness to get an idea of where you need to start.

Your aerobic exercise program should include some variety and it should include activities you enjoy or you risk procrastinating or worse, giving it up altogether. The good news is that aerobic activity comprises many different types of exercises and to some, hobbies such as walking, bicycling, skiing, running or jogging that there is truly something for everyone when it comes to an aerobic exercise program.

If your new aerobic exercise program is going to involve a gym membership, proceed with caution. While commercial gyms have a lot to offer as far as aerobic activity, they can be expensive and hard to keep up with if you have a tight schedule. If you are considering joining a gym, you might want to see if there are any free offers in your community before you commit yourself – and your wallet to a membership.

Many gyms offer a free seven day membership for this very reason and some even offer a 30 day free trial. Alternatively, if you have a friend that is a member of a gym already he or she may have been given free passes to bring a friend. At any rate, it will be worth it in the long run if you are able to "try before you buy." In this way, you can try out the equipment, the classes and get a general overview of the gym before you sign on the dotted line.

Another thing you'll want to take into consideration if you are considering joining a gym is if the gym has facilities for any particular activities you are interested in for your aerobic exercise program such as water aerobics. It would be disappointing indeed to join a gym for this purpose only to find out later that they don't have a pool.

Whether or not you join a gym though, the important thing is to get moving! Some people do much more in their own private aerobic exercise program at home in front of the television exercising to a DVD than they would be comfortable doing in front of others. That's why it is of utmost importance to discover activities that you will be inclined to stick with.

Perhaps you like the equipment the gym has to offer but crave the privacy your own home provides. If this describes you, you might consider investing in home gym equipment of your own in order to develop your aerobic exercise program. Of course, the sky is the limit here. You could spend literally thousands of dollars in home gym equipment or start with something as simple as a pair of dumbbells and an exercise ball.

You might consider right from the outset keeping an aerobic exercise program journal to monitor your progress and also to help you keep track of which aerobic activities you find yourself doing most often. It may take some time to find the ones you enjoy the most, but once you do, it will be an exercise program you look forward to and will stick with.