701 GETTING STARTED - AEROBIC WORKOUTbluebasebar.gif (4146 bytes)

1. Everyone including youth baseball players should have approval of a doctor
    before starting any physical activity such as an anaerobic workout.

2. Start easy, take your time and progress gradually, building up to about a 20
    minute workout 3 or 4 times per week.

3. Be prepared for the aches and be patient, after about 2 weeks the aches
    and pains will go away. Don't give up, give it a chance.

4. It takes anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks to get a normal person into shape.
    Players in the "lower and middle" levels will not need that long. They will feel
    the benefits quicker because their bodies are more resilient. It is possible 
    they could already be in good physical shape depending on what other
    activities they are involved in.

5. Do not try to do too much to soon, progressing gradually will accustom the
    the heart to the demands of exercise. If for any reason you stop your
    program for more than 2 weeks, make sure that you start again from the
    beginning.

6. For the baseball player the most important thing to remember when
    exercising in an aerobic form is to keep moving and build endurance. Your
    workout could be 5 minutes the first day but if you keep increasing it
    gradually you could do about 20 minutes comfortably. The maximum that
    you should do is 20 minutes. Any more than this will not help you to
    perform better for the tasks you will perform.

7. There are many excellent aerobic exercise programs available that you
    could select including jogging and running. The biggest problem is
    overcoming the boredom. Try to add variety to your program by running
    one day, step climbing the next and just continue to mix it up. After the first
    2 weeks you will start enjoying it more.

8. When it comes to baseball activity, we stress proper technique as the most
     important aspect of improving. Aerobic exercise is the same, do it properly
     with correct technique.

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