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Dear Dr. Dixon,

Hello there, I am male and 22 years old.  Before Christmas I was relatively quite fit.  I went for 2-3 20 minute jogs a week, as well as a weekly 2 hour session of Tae Quon Do Training. However since Christmas due to lots of work, I have done very little exercise and been eating not very healthy food.  Because of this, I have put on half a stone and weigh 12st., which is generally on the waist, chest and face, and i am now unfit.  But I want to get fit again, and I was wondering what is the best way to go about this.  I am eating healthily again, and is it best to go straight into 3 runs a week, or what kind of break do I need in between. Thank you for your help.

Tom

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Dear Tom,

It is generally thought that if you were an exerciser and in good shape that a down time of three weeks necessitated a cut-back in effort when a new beginning is made.  I think if you started back at two runs of 20 min. per week and a two hour session of Tae Quon Do  training, it would be just fine. Within a short 2-3 weeks you would be back to three runs per week.  Are you doing any strengthening of your uppers and abdomen?  Certainly a session of 30 min twice weekly with free weights or machines would fill the bill.  Of course you already know and are minding your food intake, good.  

Thanks for your question.

George Dixon, MD

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