Find Your Exercise Fit!

Figuring out the exercise style that best suits your needs will help you stick to a plan.

Making a plan to get regular exercise can be challenging. There are many options, and you may not be sure how to narrow them down. “The result may be that you put off exercising,” says Madhuri Kale, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

It helps to know the basic categories of activity you can choose from: Exercise classes, gym workouts, home workouts, and vigorous work or recreational activity. Here are some pros and cons to consider for each.

Exercise Classes

Examples: Step workouts; tai chi; water exercise; aerobics (exercise that gets your heart pumping).

Pros: Going to an exercise class works well for people who like getting out of the house, need instruction, and are comfortable in a group. “You get to watch an instructor and learn the right way to do an exercise,” says Kale. “The class setting builds a sense of healthy competition. It motivates you to put exercise on your schedule, get dressed, go there, and workout.” And it’s a great way to meet people and socialize.

Cons: A class may be expensive, or it may not be right for people who feel shy or pressured by others, for people with transportation or scheduling challenges, or people who might get bored doing only one kind of exercise. A large class provides fewer chances for individual instruction.