Are You Working Out at the Right Level for You?

To make exercise a habit, it's essential to work out at a level that's right for you. Find out here if your fitness level is a good fit for you.

You want to start doing aerobics, but you haven't exercised much in the past couple of years. What do you do?

Take the beginner class once a week. You don't want to overdo it.
Take the intro class twice a week, and alternate with strength training.
Sign up for intermediate aerobics three times a week. No pain, no gain.

You read a profile in a magazine about what a favorite celebrity does to get fit. You think:

Maybe I will try to incorporate some of these activities into my routine.
I will do what she does.
I could never do that.

If you're overweight, you should:

Exercise less than others.
Exercise more than others.
Exercise at your experience level, just like everybody else.

You know exercise is an important part of the weight-loss process, so you hit the treadmill and start running at full speed. After about 10 minutes, you're gasping for air. You think:

I am working too hard. Better take it down a few notches.
It's working! I will keep going.
OK, I am done.

To you, slightly sore muscles the day after exercising mean:

You have exercised enough.
You have exercised too much.
You should exercise more, so they get really sore.

Your job already involves about 30 minutes of walking per day. So in order to incorporate exercise into your weight-loss plan, you:

Are thankful you do not have to do anything else. You already walk 30 minutes a day.
Increase your efforts with a few sessions of resistance training.
Start an entire new routine of aerobics, yoga and weight training. The walking does not count.

You need a workout buddy. You figure the ideal candidate is:

Your sister-in-law, the marathon runner.
Your mom, because she hates exercise even more than you do.
A co-worker, who has some weight to lose, too, and is at your fitness level.

After a workout session, you tend to feel:

Disappointed that I did not do enough.
Satisfied that I pushed myself.
Bored.

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