Struggling to stay motivated or unsure how to get started with exercise? In this live Q&A session from her 2024 Wellness Academy session, Marcia Faustin, MD, a renowned sports medicine physician and co-head team doctor for USA Gymnastics, breaks down the most effective ways to set goals, stay accountable, and build a fitness routine that lasts.
Whether you’re just beginning or seeking to fine-tune your approach, Dr. Faustin’s expert advice will inspire you to take action and maintain momentum on your wellness journey.
About the expert: Marcia Faustin, MD
Marcia Faustin, MD is a dedicated UC Davis Health Family Medicine and Sports Medicine physician committed to providing comprehensive care to patients and athletes of all ages. With a focus on evidence-based clinical practices, empathy, and patient education, she aims to enhance her patients’ quality of life. As a former pro Division I Track & Field athlete, gymnast, and volleyball player, Dr. Faustin is personally invested in the health of pediatric athletes.
Q&A with Marcia Faustin, MD
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Q: How does someone get going in terms of motivation? What’s the most effective way, just beyond information, to get yourself going from a really sedentary lifestyle?
Dr. Faustin: The first two things I think of are setting goals, setting both short-term and long-term goals. Asking yourself questions like, what are you looking to get to? And what is your goal?
Maybe your summer goal is to be able to go on an international trip or to go on vacation without pain. I think then, after you set those goals, find yourself an accountability partner and let somebody else know what your goals are.
I always say, try to pull somebody in for myself. I got my husband to do triathlons with me, and it’s really kept us accountable to each other. And you feel more motivated and it’s more, more fun to just be able to do it with somebody else.
Q: How about wearables? How do you feel about wearables such as Apple-Watch or Fitbit in helping to monitor performance and exercise and what are the key metrics to watch?
Dr. Faustin: Oh, this is a great question. There are many, many different wearables out there. Even if you don’t have an Apple Watch or a Fitbit, your phone is tracking you.
Wearables or not, I think this question goes back to setting those goals and being able to see them tangibly. If you’re trying to set a goal, whether that’s 10,000 steps or 2,000 steps a day, the wearable may help you to stay motivated and to know if you’re reaching those goals or not. So, I do think, they could be beneficial.
I also think, on the other side, to be mindful of your own self and your own awareness of if it creates more anxiety for you? Sometimes, when I am on the peloton bike, it lets me see all the other people who are training with me, and some days, it makes me feel worse about myself, and I feel like I’m not accomplishing my goals.
So I turn it off, you know? Other days, I’m feeling really motivated, and so it is helpful.
I think awareness helps you see your goals and see if you’re accomplishing them. If you feel discouraged by that, don’t wear them. Continue to stay motivated within yourself and with that accountability partner.
For me, the biggest metric and probably the easiest one is the number of steps you take a day and what that looks like for you.
Q: What’s the difference between “static exercises” as opposed to being in full motion, do you have any recommendations on that?
Dr. Faustin: I think movement is movement, whether you are on your bike inside or if you’re on your bike outside. I do think that there is a benefit.
We have the beauty of being in California, where I mean, despite it being 100 degrees in October, we’ve got really great weather. And I grew up in, in the Chicago-land area where there are many, many months that you can’t go outside to exercise.
But we know that nature is great for our nervous system. And so anytime you can get outside, I think it can be beneficial. But any movement that you’re able to do, how big or small, if you start off small and then you get used to that movement, then you move to bigger movements, and whatever that may look like for you.
Q: How long does it take to achieve and start to see the benefits after you begin an exercise program?
Dr. Faustin: This is a great question. I’m not sure if we can say an exact timeline of when people start to feel better. In my head I think of two weeks, two weeks to make something a habit that’s not as difficult to get started again. And potentially, some may feel the benefit that same day, right?
If I’ve gone a long time without exercising and then I go for a workout, I feel a little bit better because it’s releasing those great hormones in our brain and the good hormones that give us that boost within ourselves, and that adrenaline.
So, I would say it could be as short as that same day. But over time, I think the added benefit is seeing yourself set goals, accomplish those goals, and be able to do more of the activities that you’d like to do that improve your quality of life. And I think those all compound together to really improve your mental health.”
Q: What is the value of resistance exercise compared to aerobic exercise? Is it okay to focus solely on resistance training, or should there be a balance with flexibility and aerobic exercises?
Dr. Faustin: Well, first, I would say you want that combination of aerobics exercise and resistance training.
I think of strength training as resistance training and as getting yourself stronger. And, you know, an easy example with the gymnast, right? They can do handstands and hold it for so long. And sometimes, people just have difficulty standing on one leg at a time.
And really, that’s strength. And if we can improve your strength, it can decrease your risks of falls, and can decrease your risk of other injuries that come up. For example, you’re walking along, and you’re to step off the curb, and you kind of go a little bit off kilter because you ran into somebody, your strength and that resistance training is what helps hold you stable, so you don’t fall, and you don’t hit that ground, and you can keep yourself as healthy as possible.
On the other hand, Aerobic training is great for muscle endurance and, more importantly, for your cardiovascular health, right? It decreases your risk of heart attacks, your risk of stroke, your weight, and it can also help decrease your risk of cancers. And so, it’s really that combination of exercise they found most beneficial for you.
And I think the other priority is to find exercise that you enjoy doing. You can only sustain it for so long if it’s too painful. And you should have a variety in what that exercise looks like for you.
Q: A question came in regarding exercise recommendations over time. How do exercise needs change from a person who is 30 to someone who is 65? Do you have any additional recommendations for how exercise routines should be adjusted as we age?
Dr. Faustin: The recommended exercise is 150 minutes a week. However, people may break that up based on their lifestyle and what works for them. Some people cannot work or exercise during the week because they have multiple jobs and they’re taking care of family members or their children, and it’s just not possible.
And some can get all those minutes. And over the weekend, our warrior, our weekend warriors can do that.
I don’t think about it in terms of the difference in ages, whether you’re young or old, but in terms of how I can improve my muscle endurance and strength.
The example I like to give is, if you’re somebody and you want to run a half marathon and you want to get to 13 miles, if you’re only running three miles every time for years on end, it won’t get you to that goal of that 13 miles.
Think about it: even if your goal is to be able to walk to grab your mail, there and back, and feel okay after you’re able to do that, then you want to say, okay, let me see how I could go further. Let me go around the block, let me see how much endurance I can get. Or if you’re like my mother, you might say, let me go around all of HomeGoods and then Ross and Nordstrom rack, you know, and be able to have the endurance to spend the day out, run your errands, get back home and not feel exhausted.
And so, I think of it as continuing to build on whatever exercise you’re doing and continuing in that for a lifetime.
Q: If someone decides to transition to an exercise lifestyle, what should their expectations be regarding how long it takes to see results? How quickly should they start, and when can they expect to notice changes in endurance, physical appearance, and mental health?
Dr. Faustin: I think when somebody is ready to start that exercise routine, first and foremost, really talking to your primary care physician about that or whatever physician you may have who is taking care of you to make sure that there are no other factors that we need to take into account, and that you are as healthy as possible before starting that exercise routine.
So always check in with your doctor first and then as you get started.
I usually tell patients two weeks, even for myself, even for my Olympic athletes. We know it takes about two weeks before people are like, okay, this is not as painful for me to get up and get running or get up and go to the gym, and you kind of start to make that a habit.
And I think they say it’s usually 21 days to make something a habit. And then after you start that habit, you’ll start to see those changes over days to weeks to months, whatever that may look like. But what I usually try to tell patients, especially those that may have diabetes or coronary artery disease or other metabolic syndrome or risk factors for, heart attacks or strokes, is that you may not always see a big change in the scale. I actually don’t always recommend people even to have a scale to use.
But what you’re got to know is that even if your weight is not changing, that inside what’s happening within your blood vessels, is changing. And we can see that through the blood work that you’re getting regularly. This is a great motivator to keep people moving, because we know we’re decreasing your risk of those bad health outcomes by just getting you moving.
The other important thing is that muscle weighs more than fat. And so, you may be getting on the scale and saying, I don’t understand why my weight is going up. It’s because you’re gaining more muscle for yourself. So rather, look at what your clothes fit like. You know, sometimes people are like, oh yeah, I had to get a new belt, or I had to get a new pair of pants or a new tab.
Those are indicators that you are making those changes to help keep everybody motivated and moving forward. Within that.
Q: Do you have any advice for adjusting exercise routines as the seasons change? With fall and winter approaching, are there specific recommendations for altering exercise types or frequency based on the weather?
Dr. Faustin: You know, I would say here in California, not really. You know, there’s always an opportunity that you can just layer on.
I think being smart about when you’re going outside, maybe in, the fall or the winter when it may be colder, you may put on more layers, but instead of just having one heavy layer to have different layers on because as you start exercising, you’re going to gain that heat, and you don’t want to get overheated by underestimating that temperature and how much exercise you’re doing.
So I always say have a couple of layers on that. You can pull off a jacket, tie it around your waist while you’re finishing your walking, and be mindful of that.
Another form of exercise that I love, and I highly recommend, is if you have access to a pool to exercise. There are many different pools around the areas where they’re heated in the winter, so you can go and do water aerobics classes, or you can go swimming and get your movement in that way.
So, I think we should just be prepared for what the weather looks like and always try to get outside.
Q: As people begin exercising and start seeing results, how should they adjust their diets? Are there specific nutrition recommendations they should follow, especially for those just starting out or reaching a more comfortable, consistent routine with their exercise?
Dr. Faustin: I would say regarding diet and exercise, I actually like my patients to just choose one to focus on at a time. I think it feels a little bit less overwhelming, than trying to make all these big changes in your life.
I’m a big person on baby changes, small changes. Because if you make too many big dietary changes, saying, ‘I’m not going to eat any sweets or any fried foods’, and ‘I’m only going to eat healthy’ and ‘I’m going to start this exercise routine’, it’s difficult to sustain. I can’t sustain it personally, you know, understanding the importance of this and doing athletics for a long time.
I think the goal is always 80/20. 80% of the time you’re doing the right things, which is what most people, I think have the basic foundation of eating healthy, trying to avoid fried food, eats your eat your fruits, your vegetables. You need protein to build bone or to build muscle. Then, you also need carbohydrates to build energy.
And so really, if you can sit down and create even a food diary for about three days, look at what you’re eating. And then, after people have an idea of what they are eating in the day, they can say, okay, what do I think I can cut out and slowly work your way towards cutting out things that may not be as healthy. Increasing your protein is also a good one because it helps keep you feel and keeps you full for a longer period of time and is making those small changes.
And I think having that diary with you or something written, or whether it’s in your phone that way, allows you to look back up even a month and say, oh, when you’re feeling discouraged, you’re feeling like, gosh, I feel like I’m not making any changes. You look at what your food diary looks like 30 days later to what it was before, and you’re going to see those changes, and that’ll help move you in the right direction.
You can also see your physician and always get referred to a nutritionist. There’s a lot of information online about making those diet adjustments.
Q: One final question about strength and resistance training: Do you have a recommendation for beginners? Should they start with weights, or is there another approach you suggest for those just starting out?
Dr. Faustin: This is a great question. I would say first and foremost, start with weights or start with body weight. So, an easy thing you can do on your own is just stand up. Stand on one leg and see what your balance looks like.
This is something we do in the clinic often. Work your way towards being able to do a single-leg balance. How? How long can you hold that foot up? That might be easy to do when you’re brushing your teeth and then holding on to a table or counter and doing squats—three sets of five squats, and see how you do with that.
Doing lunges, see how you do with that. And there are a lot of resources online, but remember to start slow. And then as things get easier, if you’re doing those exercises over and over again and you’re like, okay, that was easy, then you know you need to increase it. Whether that may be adding in resistance bands, or you can add in weights, or you can add in the number that you’re doing.
So if you were doing three sets of five squats, now you can do three sets of ten squats. When you’re done exercising, you want to be a little bit sore and know that you’re making some progress.
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