Getting in shape : The Gear

Before you can set off on your first workout, you need to make sure that you have all the proper gear that you might need, not only to make your workout more enjoyable, but also to ensure that you don’t injure yourself in anyway.

The workout routine will include quite a bit of jogging/running, so I suggest you get yourself a decent pair of shoes. Ideally, they should be either cross-trainers, or running shoes. Cross-trainers are basically multi-purpose shoes, that you could use for a variety of activities, without worrying about either your feet, or the shoes themselves. You can use them for anything, from mild trekking, to some basketball on a cemented court, or more importantly, for your ‘hopefully’ daily run.

Avoid canvas shoes. They look great, but when it comes to running, they can and will make you limp. Same goes for anything else, like floaters, which are terrible for running. Just stick to the kind of shoes I mentioned.

You’ll need a couple of pairs of socks, mainly because it’s advisable to change your socks each time you workout. Buy some that don’t irritate your skin, and importantly, don’t chafe your skin. If you think they’re a bit rough, avoid them.

A sweatband or wrist band won’t be such a bad idea, especially in the summer, when you will sweat. A lot. It’s convenient to just wipe the sweat off.

As for actual clothes, anything will do. But it shouldn’t be tight. It should let your skin breath. Sports shirts, especially the well ventilated ones, are a good option. You can pair that with a pair of shorts, and or running track suit trousers. If it’s the winter, you should cover up well before heading out, because you don’t want to fall ill and mess up your workout routine completely. In that case, you should have a snug fitting jacket which doesn’t hinder your movement, but at the same time keeps you warm.

Now, a bottle of water is completely optional. I usually have some before leaving. It’s very easy to overdo it, because if you have too much water, you’re likely to develop a catch while working out. A catch is that stabbing pain you develop in your side if you run for a long while. At the same time, if you dehydrate, you run the risk of muscle cramps, or worse, fainting…

Last, but not least, you’ll need something to keep you going. If you have a portable music player (PMP) or music phone, make a playlist of your fastest, most energizing songs to play while working out.

Additionally, if you have a phone/PMP with a fitness application, learn how to use it. I use Sports Tracker from Nokia. It’s available for a wide range of Nokia phones, but mainly S60 phones. The version I use if for S60v5 phones i.e. touch screen phones like the 5800, 5230, N97 etc. Nokia never bothered to release the thing officially for S60v5 phones. For other Nokia phones, just search around for the correct version, assuming it exists. There’s a new version 2.06 out, but it doesn’t work on my phone, so I just use the old version 1.83.

Next post, the actual workout.