For many Americans, a new year means new fitness goals. According to survey data released by YouGov, Americans’ top New Year’s resolution is to exercise more, with 25% of respondents listed exercising and 21% improving physical health as their goal for 2026.
Exercising has many benefits including combating health conditions and diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and depression. Exercising can also boost energy, improve mood and help maintain a healthy weight. Unfortunately, the resolution-related surge in activity without proper planning and guidance often leads to frustration, abandoning fitness goals, and even exercise-related injuries.
Three UAB Sports & Exercise Medicine physicians offer their tips for starting an exercise routine, preventing injury and even knowing if you are working out too much.
What is the best type of exercise for beginners?
“Walking is the best type of exercise for anyone to try, especially beginners because you can go at your own pace,” said Calvin Spellmon Jr., M.D., sports medicine physician and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “You don’t need any fancy equipment or a gym membership, and it can be done literally anywhere.”
Spellmon notes that most people complete this exercise whether they want to or not, and recommend walking on soft surfaces, wearing supportive shoes and orthotics if needed, and drinking fluids.
During your exercise make sure you warm-up and stretch before and after, gradually build up your distance and ice for recovery if needed. Spellmon recommends wearing bright colors for safety, keeping headphone volume low, avoiding high traffic areas, and letting someone know the route you are on.
What is the right way to warmup and cooldown?
Ian McKeag, M.D., M.S., associate professor and UAB Sports & Exercise Medicine Fellowship director, explained that, while a warmup should increase both blood flow and heart rate, a cooldown should do the opposite.
“The goal for every warmup is to increase your heart rate above your resting rate, and to initiate some additional blood flow to the larger muscle groups you plan on working out. Conversely, the goal for your cooldown is to gradually reduce your heart rate toward your resting rate and return blood flow back to the pre-exercise state,” McKeag said.
However, both a warmup and cooldown should be an easier version of your predominant workout movements.
“So, if you are warming up for a long run, a slower paced light jog would fit the bill as an appropriate warm up,” McKeag said. “If you are in the weight room, then try some slow, controlled, body-weight squats, push-ups, or other significantly reduced-weight lifts.”
Although doing a pre-workout warmup and post-workout stretching is something he recommends to everyone working out, McKeag emphasized that it is less important for resistance trainers to cool down than it is for people doing an aerobic/cardiovascular-based workout. McKeag still advised, however, that most people incorporate a cooldown into their workout routine.
Am I exercising too much?
“All too often the ‘No Pain; No Gain’ mantra leads to injury—both acute and overuse—rather than achieving your goals,” said UAB Student Health Services Sports Medicine Clinic Director and UAB Athletics Medical Director Heath Hale, M.D.
Hale recommends being aware of the signs that someone might be over-exercising.
A great way to determine whether a workout is too strenuous is to try to have a conversation with someone. One may need to dial down the workout routine’s intensity if the individual fails the “Talk Test.”
Hale also says disposition issues can be a sign of over-exercise.
“Do you feel depressed? Anxious? More irritable? Are you constantly tired? Do you sleep poorly? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes,’ then you may be over-exercising,” Hale explained.
Another possible sign is if an exercise regimen requires extra rest or is not a routine that can be kept up over time.
Finally, Hale recommends evaluating diet, which plays a crucial role in exercise.
“Your body is like a car. It needs fuel to run. If your nutritional demands exceed your intake, then that’s a sign to cut back on your exercise,” said Hale.
Think about how to make some positive changes. Whether it’s about exercise, anxiety, healthy eating or something else, small steps towards a healthier lifestyle can go a long way towards a happier life.
Anyone starting a new exercise routine should always talk to their primary care provider, especially if they have existing health conditions, haven’t been active, have pain, or take medications. Providers can assess readiness, offer personalized guidance, and help create a safe, effective plan to prevent injury and optimize benefits.