Maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but the most difficult part is always starting a fitness routine, to begin with.
Once you’ve got into a routine and created an achievable fitness regime and you enjoy it, it stops being “hard work” and becomes a part of you.
Much like many things in life, it’s about consistency.
But how do you get started? How do you go from a sedentary lifestyle to regular workouts?
Well, we’re going to give you some of the best tips to get you started and aim for a new lifetime commitment where you’ll feel better and look better!
Read on for more.
Why Start Regular Exercise?
Most of us are already aware that exercise is massively beneficial to our everyday lives and general health.
It can promote better mental health, a positive attitude, better self-confidence, and normally a better-looking body! But there’s much more to it than that.
Our bodies and our minds are much more aligned than we often give credit for.
For example, doctors have long suggested that regular exercise can help alleviate the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.
Additionally, we are contributing to a fitter body – which means less chance of getting sick with an improved immune system and more calories being burned which should keep our weight in check.
It’s also been suggested that detoxification of potentially harmful chemicals that we’re exposed to in our everyday lives can occur from regular exercise.
The point here is, that there are so many benefits to regular exercise and it’s always a good idea to get into it and keep it going – but how exactly does a beginner do this?
Preparation And Philosophy
Maintaining regular exercise is not as simple as some people think, and beneficial workouts do not simply involve running on a treadmill.
The key is consistency and the only way to remain consistent is through the following:
Determination
Hard work
Enjoyment
Variety
If you prepare yourself before you begin and know what you’re going to do and what it takes, you’ll be able to plan better for your fitness program.
Here are some things you should think about:
Make It Achievable
If you’re thinking about starting out in the fitness world because you want to lose weight, you need to be honest with yourself and make any fitness improvement goal achievable.
You’re not going to lose 200 pounds in a week for example, and you’re unlikely to be able to run 5 miles on day two. So, always start with small goals and work your way up.
In fact, we recommend any workouts be 30 minutes or less. That way, you are much more likely to remain consistent and see results.
Document Your Progress
Knowing how far you’ve come and where you’re going is critical to success. It allows you to see how much weight you’ve lost, how many workouts you’ve done, how improved your workouts are, etc.
Humans are almost fickle in the way our minds operate. If we see positive results from our documentation, we will continue to make headway and stick with the workouts.
However, it’s important to remember that we all have bad times, so if you ever notice a decline in progress, don’t give up – use this as motivation and set a new goal!
Variety
If you do the same workouts over and over again, week in and week out – your muscles will begin to get used to it. Not only does this slightly detract from the benefits of the workout, but it also brings an element of boredom.
One of the important things with regular exercise is enjoying it. If you find yourself getting bored with your exercises, you’ll likely just stop.
This is why it is so important to plan your workouts and make a cycle. This allows you to keep things fresh and get all of your muscles involved.
Don’t Forget To Rest
This principle creeps into the idea of keeping exercise fun. If you do not rest or do not treat yourself from time to time, you might find yourself getting irritated and it’s possible to fall into a habit of binge eating or laziness.
So, always remember to rest and set yourself that one day a week when you can let your hair down.
Just know that you need to get back to the routine the next day!
Gym? Home? Where To Exercise
This will likely come down to personal preference and budget restrictions. There’s no right or wrong answer for where you get your exercise, as long as you are getting regular exercise!
However, we’ll run through the pros and cons for each for beginners.
The Gym
While the gym may seem like the logical place to go for a workout, for beginners it’s not always that simple.
Pros
Leaving the house puts you in the mindset of “going to workout”
You’re around like-minded people
Opportunity for workout classes if you wish
Opportunity to ask for help or tips if required
Some gyms have apps that allow you to document your progress
Cons
Some beginners feel strong anxiety about the gym, especially around “veterans” of fitness
Can be quite costly
Exercise machines may be taken
Some machines can be difficult to understand without experience
There have been beginners in the past that have decided to seek out 24-hour gyms so they can learn on their own timeline and alleviate some of their anxiety, but sometimes the gym is not for you.
Home Workout
A lot of us are home much more now, so exercising at home might just be another thing you do there. However, let’s look at the pros and cons.
Pros
Cheaper/free depending on choice of workouts
No strangers around you
Machines are never taken
No need to commit to a long-term gym membership
Can do exercises on your own time and as you are able to fit them in
Cons
You may start developing “cabin fever” if you work, live, and exercise from home
Large families might make home workouts more difficult
You may find it is much easier to slouch and forget your workout, making it much more difficult to remain consistent
Outdoors
Exercising outdoors is a great way to enjoy nature and stick to a fitness routine. However, this is also not for everyone.
Pros
Free
Duality with nature
More room to move than the gym
Allows you to leave your home
Cons
Limited options for exercise choices
Weather can restrict you
Difficult to do during nighttime hours
What Exercises Should I Be Doing?
As we mentioned, variety is important for beginners and you also need to set realistic exercises that you can do for 30 minutes or less.
There are a few choices:
Cardio
Strength training
Bodyweight exercises
Each one of these exercise categories has plenty to choose from. Consider looking up a few from each and making a workout plan that is varied and you can stick to!
The Bottom Line
If you can stick to an exercise plan, remain consistent, and keep it varied – you should be able to go from beginner to regular in no time!
Hi, my name is TJ Daniels. I am a certified personal trainer dedicated to health and fitness for the past 20+ years. We have found that consistency is the key to wellness and our company is founded on this philosophy. If you would like to learn more, please see our About Us page or Contact Us with questions, feedback, suggestions for future content, or collaboration opportunities. Let’s enjoy this journey together!
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