Moving a little is your easy, gentle opportunity to introduce exercise into your life—the Start Here way. Although some of you may have not moved or exerted yourselves physically for months or even years, these four seven-week plans are completely doable—regardless of your size, weight, or (former!) athletic ability.
The integration of daily physical activity into your life will maximize your weight loss, make you think more clearly, and reenergize you. You don’t have to overhaul your life or radically change your routines to do these movements; they are meant to be familiar. They also work. The week-by-week plan that follows will show you how to integrate the activities in ways that work for you—whether you want to spread out your mini-sessions three times a day, twice a day, or do them all at once. You can also decide when to exercise. Some people like to wake up, have a simple breakfast, and do their exercise. This is my preference. Other people like working out in the middle of the day; instead of sitting down for a long lunch, they use the midday break to fit in their exercise. Still others feel they benefit most from spreading out their exercise in three different periods: early in the day, midday, and then again after work (or before dinner). It’s up to you!
The movements are designed to work your entire body not in separate parts but as a whole—which is the way our bodies are meant to move! To breathe deeply and use our bodies is to feel fully human and fully alive. You will find ways to improve your stamina through cardio, your strength through muscle toning, your agility and stability through making your joints more stable, and your posture by connecting to your core.
Now let’s start moving!
Weeks 1 and 2 represent the beginner level, offering minimal challenge as you figure out the best ways to integrate these activities into your daily life. Weeks 3 and 4 increase the duration and frequency, offering moderate challenge. Weeks 5 and 6 increase the complexity, duration, and frequency of your activities even more, and represent the highest level of challenge in all three ways. You do not have to follow this plan on that exact calendar schedule, however. You might, for instance, spend one or two months doing the activities described in weeks 1 and 2 (beginning challenge) before you move on to the later weeks. You may even find that you want to alternate the style from week to week, especially if you’ve been traveling.
I’ve also balanced the day-by-day selections to include both indoor and outdoor activities, so that you can mix and match depending on your weather or the general climate where you live, or just how you’re feeling on any given day. One goal I encourage is to think about exercise as something that happens all the time no matter what, not just when the kids are at school or when you get home from work on time. You will find a selection of easy indoor activities, including chores around the house, plus outdoor activities such as gardening, walking in your neighborhood, and even playing outside with your kids. Rain or shine, you will have plenty of types of movement from which to choose.
The Start Here exercise plan can work for anyone—whether you are returning to exercise after a twenty-year hiatus, if you’ve been going to a gym every once in a while, or even if you consider yourself a “weekend warrior” athlete. Making physical activity part of your life is about setting the intention that exercise—regardless of its form—is important to you and your health. It’s a priority—it’s good for your body and your brain and will help you fight disease and the effects of aging.
So yes, it’s great to do thirty or forty or sixty minutes on a treadmill, but think about how you can enhance what you are already doing by mixing up the sorts of exercise to include a good balance of cardio, strengthening, and stretching. If you’ve already been doing some moderate movement, then you might feel comfortable starting with activities in weeks 4 and 5. The plan is not meant to be a prescription but a guide for helping you integrate physical activity in your daily life and improve your all-over body awareness. I believe when just these two simple goals are met, you will have reached success!
Tosca’s Journal
Note to self: You are not weak, you are wonderful. You are not fat, you are fabulous. You are not bad, you are beautiful! Keep believing, Tosca!
In chapter 5, you began to think about how you want to integrate movement into your daily and weekly life—now it’s time to create and commit to your schedule. Using either your journal, a planner, or the same whiteboard you posted in your kitchen for your weekly meal plans, create a day-by-day list of movements. Again, I suggest doing this week by week and revising as you go along. If you map out when and what you are going to do, carving out the time in advance, you dramatically increase the likelihood that you will follow through.
Here are some other issues to consider as you plan your weeks ahead:
Avoid Boredom
Avoid getting bored with certain activities by alternating different movements and creating new combinations. Nothing is more of a turnoff than feeling less than excited about an activity! So play with your schedule and challenge yourself to try new activities. Like your mother used to tell you, “take just one bite,” try a new activity “just once”—who knows, you may just find you enjoy gardening!
Pay Attention to How You Feel
Check in with how you are feeling. Are you more tired than usual? Have you been drinking enough water? Getting enough sleep? Any kind of exercise will help create energy in your body, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get fatigued. Make sure you plan for some restorative time to help your muscles relax.
Treat Any Soreness
If your body is sore, don’t ignore it. Treat any soreness with lots of water, rest, and Epsom salt soaks. Soreness is a good thing if you treat it regularly, but if your muscles get too tired or you let yourself get too dehydrated, then the soreness may lead to cramps and possibly muscle spasms.
Cue into Posture
Your posture is more than just the backbone of your body. Remember the tips I offered in chapter 5 about pushing your body into your feet? And using your abdominal muscles to strengthen your core? This kind of body awareness not only brings intention to any physical activity you engage in, but it also improves your posture. Good posture is the foundation of being able to move more fluidly throughout the day, with fewer aches and pains.
Mix It Up!
As you create your schedule, remember to mix cardio, strength, and stretching—either in combination on one day or by rotating through the types of activity throughout the week. Remember, your body responds best when it gets all these forms of exercise.
Be Patient with Yourself
As you begin your week, you may feel more tired than you thought, or you may encounter discouraging feelings. Be patient with yourself. Becoming active after being sedentary in your habits for a long time can be quite a shock to the system! So as important as it is to challenge yourself and commit to your schedule, it’s also important to pay attention to how you feel. If the suggested three-tiered layout doesn’t work well for you, then stick to the movements described in weeks 1 and 2. I trust that when you are ready to move on to more challenge, you will know it!
Week 1 asks you to incorporate fifteen to twenty minutes of activity at least once, preferably twice per day, for four or five days a week. The combinations are designed to get your arms, legs, and core moving, while gently including cardio.
Early morning or midday: 15–20 minutes (indoors)
Sweep floors (10 minutes)
Vacuum while holding stomach in (10 minutes)
Late afternoon or early evening: 15–20 minutes (outdoors)
Take an extra trip to the mailbox (5 minutes)
Walk to the end of your driveway or up your block (10–15 minutes)
Early morning or midday (indoors): 15–20 minutes
Wash the dishes by hand (10 minutes)
Wash down the refrigerator (10 minutes)
Late afternoon or evening (indoors): 15–20 minutes
Climb up and down a flight of stairs twice (10 minutes)
Arm extensions (see this page; 10 minutes)
Early morning or midday (outdoors): 15–20 minutes
Push a stroller or walker up the street, driveway, or block (20 minutes)
Late afternoon or early evening (indoors): 15 minutes
Put laundry away piece by piece (15 minutes)
Early morning or midday (outdoors): 30–40 minutes
Vacuum car (15–20 minutes)
Wash car windows (15–20 minutes)
Early morning or midday (indoors): 30–40 minutes
Clean out closets (20 minutes)
Do calf raises on steps (10–20 minutes)
Afternoon or early evening (indoors): 10 minutes
Lift feet up and down, keep knee bent at right angle, from a seated position
*Optional
Dust the tops of windows
Wash the windows of your house or apartment
Lift your legs up and down while seated, holding in stomach muscles
Walk up and down stairs twice, flexing your wrists
Clean out your pantry and cupboards
Walk the driveway or office corridor
Do gentle twists from a standing position
Lie on the floor and do chin tucks
Lie on the floor, tuck knees, and twist to the side
Lift your legs up and down while standing, holding in stomach muscles
Weeks 3–4 movements ask you to add one extra day of activity and increase your duration by five to ten minutes. The movements are slightly more challenging in their cardio and strengthening capacity, and you will be incorporating more stretching. Keep in mind that you can shift the times when you exercise as well as the combinations, but try to balance out the cardio, strengthening, and stretching movements from day to day, workout to workout.
Early morning or midday (outdoors): 20–25 minutes
Walk the block around your home or office (20–25 minutes)
Afternoon or evening (indoors): 15–20 minutes
Sit on the edge of your bed and raise your arms (see arm extensions, this page; 15–20 minutes)
Early morning or midday (indoors): 45 minutes
Paint a piece of furniture (30 minutes)
Clean the tub (15 minutes)
Afternoon or evening (indoors): 20–30 minutes
Move the furniture of 2–3 rooms and vacuum floors completely (20–30 minutes)
Early morning or midday (outdoors): 35–45 minutes
Push a grocery cart through the store 3–4 times (20–30 minutes)
Walk to the mailbox at the end of your street and back twice (15 minutes)
Afternoon or evening (indoors): 30 minutes
Sit on edge of bed and do leg lifts (see leg lifts, this page; 15 minutes)
Sit on edge of bed and do arm extensions (see arm extensions, this page; 15 minutes)
Early morning or midday (outdoors): 30 minutes
Plant flowers or pick weeds in garden (30 minutes)
Afternoon or evening (indoors): 30 minutes
Clean tub (15 minutes)
While sitting at your desk, in your car, or on the subway, pull in your stomach muscles (15 minutes)
Early morning or midday (outdoors): 30 minutes
Walk when you’d usually take a taxi or bus (20–30 minutes)
Walk the mall with a friend (30 minutes)
Early morning or midday (outdoors): 45–60 minutes
Go apple picking, visit a museum, or take a tour of a historic site
*Optional
Water aerobics or swimming
Play with your kids
Rake the lawn
Wash your car
Ride your bike
Dance (at home or in a class)
Fencing
Treadmill
This third level of movement continues to raise your exertion level and increases the frequency and duration of activities. However, keep in mind you can stick to doing your activities twice a day, or add a third session. This is entirely up to your personal preference and schedule. You may enjoy exercising in short but frequent bursts, splitting up your activities at the beginning and end of the day, or you may prefer to do it all at once—for a sustained amount of time.
Early morning: 25 minutes
Walk up and down stairs 3–4 times (10 minutes)
Lying on your bed on your back or stomach, do 10 scissor kicks, (repeat for 5–10 minutes)
From a standing position, touch your toes (5 minutes)
Noon or midday: 15–20 minutes
Walk around your block from office or home (15–20 minutes)
Afternoon or evening: 15 minutes
Neck rolls (15 minutes)
Early morning: 25 minutes
Clean out garage or storage unit (25 minutes)
Noon or midday: 20–25 minutes
Arm extensions (10 minutes)
Leg extensions (10 minutes)
Neck rolls (5 minutes)
Afternoon or evening: 15 minutes
Walk your block or go to the mall with a friend (15 minutes)
Early morning: 30 minutes
From your bed, do twists (10 minutes)
From a standing position, raise your knees (10 minutes)
From a standing position, touch your toes (10 minutes)
Easy Stretch—see this page (10 minutes)
Noon or midday: 30 minutes
Treadmill* (15 minutes)
Bike* (15 minutes)
* If you don’t have access to a stationary bike or a treadmill, replace both with 30 minutes of walking. Or climb the stairs at your house repeatedly.
Early morning: 35–45 minutes
Take a walk with friend in park or woods (25–30 minutes)
Easy Stretch—see this page (10–15 minutes)
Noon or midday: 10–15 minutes
Arm lifts with cans (10–15 minutes)
Early morning: 30 minutes
Push a stroller or walker around the block (20 minutes)
Arm extensions (10 minutes)
Walk the stairs (10 minutes)
Neck rolls (10 minutes)
Evening: 25 minutes
Arm extensions (10 minutes)
Leg extensions (10 minutes)
Neck rolls (5 minutes)
Early morning: 35–45 minutes
Treadmill or stationary bike (20–25 minutes)
Arm extensions (10 minutes)
Leg lifts (10 minutes)
Noon or midday: 10 minutes
Easy Stretch—see this page (10 minutes)
*Optional
Zumba
Pilates
Core workout
Elliptical machine
StairMaster
Cycling
Tennis
Swimming
Circuit or interval training
Jog or run
Endurance events
The six-week cycle described above will improve your strength, agility, and overall physical stamina. The exercises listed for the bonus week are designed to maximize your physical challenge. You may want to alternate a tough week with a less demanding week, giving yourself a challenge and then backing off for a rest. Keep in mind that the movements designed in this week are meant for those who have been exercising frequently for a number of months and have built up strength, endurance, and flexibility. But as you move through the plan, you may just want to test the water! So come on in—it’s fabulous!
Early morning: 20 minutes
Walk/run around neighborhood or on treadmill (15–20 minutes)
Afternoon or evening: 40 minutes
Arm extensions (10 minutes)
Neck rolls (10 minutes)
Inner thigh squeeze (10 minutes)
Raise knees (10 minutes)
Early morning: 30–40 minutes
Walk/run on treadmill (15 minutes)
Stationary bike or road bike (15–20 minutes)
Afternoon or evening: 20 minutes
Arm weights from prone position—biceps curls, overhead lat pulls, and goal posts—see this page for description (15 minutes)
Easy Stretch (5–10 minutes)
Early morning: 35–45 minutes
Treadmill or stationary bike (20–25 minutes)
Arm weights (10 minutes)
Squats (10 minutes)
Afternoon or evening:15 minutes
Easy Stretch, Neck rolls (15 minutes)
Early morning: 35–45 minutes
Take a run/walk with a friend in the park or woods (25–30 minutes)
Easy Stretch (10–15 minutes)
Afternoon or evening: 15–20 minutes
Swim (20–35 minutes)
Arm weights—or use your cans! (10 minutes)
Leg lifts (10 minutes)
Early morning: 30 minutes
Quick run/walk in neighborhood (20 minutes)
Squats (5 minutes)
Triceps dips (5 minutes)
Crunches (5 minutes)
Afternoon or evening: 30–45 minutes
Easy Stretch, Neck rolls
Early morning: 30–40 minutes
Swim (20–35 minutes)
Bike (15–20 minutes)
Afternoon or evening: 20 minutes
Arm weights (15 minutes)
Easy Stretch (15 minutes)
*Optional
Spin class or cycle
Jump rope
Kickboxing
Tennis
Rowing machine
Squash
Circuit training with weights
Interval training
Arm Extensions: Stretch arms overhead, to the side in T position, and bring them back to your sides. (10x)
Arm Weights:
Biceps Curls: With small 2- to 3-pound weights, keep elbows at sides, and curl your forearms toward your body. (10x)
Goal Posts: Lie on floor mat, place arms out to side, and bend them at right angle (forming “goal posts”); with small 2- to 3-pound weights, lift bent arms toward ceiling. (10x)
Overhead Lat Pulls: Lie on floor mat, and with 2- to 3-pound light weights, extend your arms overhead; pressing back and stomach into the floor, raise and lower the weights off floor to above your face. (10x)
Easy Stretch: Lie on floor mat, stretch arms out to side in T position, pull knees in, and stretch them to one side and then the other.
Inner Thigh Squeeze: Lie on your back with legs out straight; place a 7″ soft ball or pillow between your legs, and squeeze your legs together, hold for 5 seconds, and release. (10x)
Knee Raises: From a standing or seated position, lift bent knee toward the ceiling, pulling in stomach as you raise leg. (10x)
Leg Lifts: On floor mat, straighten leg and lift, while pressing stomach muscles into floor; lift leg only as high as you can maintain a flat back. (10x)
Neck Rolls: Lie on floor mat, press your back into floor and gently turn your neck to right, then left, while keeping shoulders on floor.