A Beginner’s Guide to Exercising: How to Start Working Out
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health.
In fact, you’ll begin to see and feel the benefits consistent physical activity can have on your body and well-being quickly.
However, working exercise into your routine takes a lot of determination, and sticking to it in the long term requires discipline.
If you’re considering starting to exercise but don’t know where to begin, this article is for you. Here’s all you need to know about starting a routine and sticking to it.
Why work out?
Regular exercise has been proven to considerably enhance your health (1Trusted Source).
Its key advantages include lowering your chance of developing chronic diseases and assisting you in achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight and muscle mass (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4, 5Trusted Source).
Additionally, studies have demonstrated that exercise can improve your happiness, mental health, sleep, and even your sex life (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8).
That’s not all, either. It may also aid in preserving your energy levels (9Trusted Source).
In conclusion, exercise is effective and can enhance your quality of life.
Typical forms of exercise
There are numerous forms of exercise, such as:
Aerobic. Any fitness regimen should incorporate some sort of constant exercise as its foundation. Swimming, running, and dancing are a few examples.
Strength. Strength and muscle power are improved with these activities. Sprinting, weightlifting, plyometrics, and resistance training are a few examples.
Calisthenics. These exercises typically involve exercising vast muscle groups and no gym equipment. They are completed at a moderate aerobic tempo. Lunges, situps, pushups, and pullups are a few examples.
Exercise with short bursts of intensity (HIIT). Short bursts of high-intensity activity are repeated, and they are followed by low-intensity exercise or rest intervals.
a boot camp. These are timed, intense circuits that incorporate both aerobic and resistance training.
stability or equilibrium. These workouts are made to increase body coordination and muscle strength. Pilates, tai chi postures, and core-strengthening activities are a few examples.
Flexibility. These workouts support muscle recovery, preserve range of motion, and guard against injuries. Yoga or specific muscle-stretching exercises are a couple of examples.
The aforementioned exercises can be performed separately or in tandem. The most important thing is to do what feels right to you and to enjoy yourself while doing it.
What to do first
Before beginning a new exercise regimen, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.
1) Examine your health
Before beginning an exercise program, it’s crucial to speak with your doctor and have a physical assessment.
For those who are new to demanding and vigorous physical pursuits, this is especially crucial.
Any health issues or diseases that could increase your chance of suffering an injury while exercising can be found at an early exam.
Additionally, it can assist you to get the most out of your workout by making it simpler for you to comprehend your limitations and develop an exercise regimen catered to your individual requirements, along with your personal trainer, should you decide to operate with one.
2. Create a plan and set reasonable objectives.
Once you’ve made the decision to start exercising frequently, try to develop a strategy with reachable objectives and actions.
Starting with a plan of simple carry-out stages is one method to do this. When your level of fitness increases, you can then continue to add to it.
If your objective is to complete a 5-kilometer run, for instance, you might start by creating a schedule that incorporates shorter runs.
Increase the distance until you can run the entire 5 kilometers in a single session once you can complete those short runs.
Setting short, attainable goals at the outset will improve your chances of success and keep you motivated along the way.
3. Establish a routine
Maintaining a regular fitness schedule is essential for success.
Making regular exercise a habit tends to make it easier for people to keep up an exercise regimen in the long run (9Trusted Source).
According to a review of studies, switching out a bad habit for a new, healthier one is a great way to keep it for the long run (9Trusted Source).
Making a timetable or doing out at the same time each day are additional effective approaches to maintaining and extending your routine.
For instance, by scheduling a workout directly after work or first thing in the morning every day, you can develop the habit of exercising. It’s crucial to pick a time that suits you the best.
Sample fitness regimen for one week
The one-week fitness routine listed below is simple to follow, doesn’t call for any special equipment, and only takes 30 to 45 minutes every day to complete.
You can customize this program to suit your fitness level and desired level of difficulty.
Monday: 40 minutes of brisk walking or a moderate jog.
Tuesday is a day off.
Wednesday: Go for a 10-minute brisk walk. Next, finish the circuits below, taking a minute to rest between exercises but not between sets. After, stretch.
Circuit #1: 3 sets of 10 lunges on each leg, 10 pushups, and 10 situps alternated.
Circuit #2: Three rounds of 10 chair dips, 10 jumping jacks, and 10 air squats alternated.
Thursday is a day off.
Friday: a 30-minute bike ride or a jog at a brisk pace.
Rest day on Saturday.
Sunday: Spend 40 minutes jogging, running, or walking far.
The aforementioned one-week regimen is merely a starter program to get you going. Visit the following links for additional workout suggestions and schedules:
20-minute beginner’s workout
30 exercises to maximize your at-home workout for different skill levels
6 low-impact cardio workouts in no more than 20 minutes
a few pointers for newbies
Keep hydrated.
It’s crucial to consume fluids throughout the day to keep your hydration levels in check.
Maintaining fluid balance when exercising is crucial for maintaining peak performance, especially in hot weather (10, 11Trusted Source).
Additionally, drinking water after your workout might aid in your recovery and prepare you for your upcoming training session (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
2. Improve your dietary habits
Consume a balanced diet to support your exercise regimen.
To maintain a healthy energy level and maximize the benefits of your workout, you must consume foods from all dietary categories. In order to feed your muscles before activity, carbs are essential (14Trusted Source).
In order to replace your glycogen stores and help your muscles absorb amino acids during recovery, carbs are also crucial after exercise (15Trusted Source).
Additionally, protein promotes muscle growth, heals tissue damage from exercise, and speeds up muscle recovery (16Trusted Source).
Last but not least, it has been demonstrated that ingesting healthy fats on a regular basis will assist burn body fat and conserve muscle fuel during workouts, prolonging your vitality (14Trusted Source).
For more information on pre-and post-workout nutrition, visit these links.
3. Get ready
Before working exercise, you should warm up. Doing so can enhance your sports performance and help prevent injuries (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
Additionally, it might increase your flexibility and lessen pain following a workout (18Trusted Source).
Simple aerobic movements like arm swings, leg kicks, and walking lunges can be used to kick off your workout.
Alternately, you might warm up by performing simple variations of the activity you intend to perform. For instance, stroll before running.
4. Recover.
Cooling off is essential since it aids in the restoration of your body to normal.
Taking a few minutes to cool down can assist in reestablishing regular breathing patterns and potentially lower the likelihood of developing muscle soreness (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
After an aerobic workout or after doing resistance training, you might want to stretch.
5. Be aware of your body.
Be aware of your limitations if daily exercise is something you’re not used to.
If you experience any pain or discomfort while exercising, stop immediately and take a break. It is not a good idea to push through pain because it can lead to injury.
Additionally, keep in mind that a faster and tougher workout may not always be better.
You can maintain your habit and get the most out of it by taking your time as you advance through your fitness regimen.