Exercising regularly is one of the finest things you can do for your health.
In reality, the positive effects of regular exercise on your health and mood will become immediately apparent.
However, it takes a lot of willpower to include exercise in your daily routine and much more self-control to maintain that pattern over time.
This article can help you get started with exercise if you’ve been thinking about it but don’t know where to start. You’ll find all you need to know about establishing and maintaining a habit here.
Is there any use in working out?
Exercising regularly has been found to have several health benefits (1Trusted Source).
The major advantages of this are that it aids in maintaining a healthy weight and muscle mass, and it decreases the likelihood that you will develop chronic illnesses (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4, 5Trusted Source).
Exercising has been proven to improve not just your mental and emotional well-being but also your mood, your ability to sleep, and your sex life (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8).
Not just that, but also. You may find that your energy levels are more stable (9Trusted Source).
Getting in shape is an effective way to enhance your quality of life.
Common forms of physical activity
Among the many forms of physical activity are:
- Aerobic. Your workout routine should centre on a constant motion to get the best results. Activities like swimming, jogging, and dancing are good examples.
- Strength. Strength and power in the muscles may be improved with these workouts. Weightlifting, sprinting, plyometrics, and other resistance-based exercises are all good examples.
- Callisthenics. These exercises emphasise the use of big muscular groups yet need no special equipment. Moderate aerobic intensity is used. Lunges, situps, pushups, and pullups are all good examples.
- Interval exercise at a high intensity (HIIT). Interval training consists of many sets of brief, high-intensity exercises interspersed with lower-intensity work or relaxation intervals.
- Military training camps. High-intensity interval training circuits include aerobic and resistance training into a single set of exercises performed in succession under time pressure.
- Consistency or steadiness. These routines are meant to bolster muscular strength and enhance coordination. Pilates, tai chi positions, and abdominal crunches are all great examples.
- Flexibility. These routines are excellent for easing muscular soreness, maintaining mobility, and avoiding injuries. Yoga and other forms of personal muscular stretching are two such examples.
These may be done alone or as a package. Do what seems right for you, and enjoy yourself while you’re doing it.
Where to Begin
Before beginning a new exercise programme, you should keep a few things in mind.
1) Have a health checkup
Before beginning any workout programme, it’s essential to check in with your doctor and receive a full physical.
This is especially true for those just starting with strong physical activity.
If you have any underlying health issues that might put you at risk for an exercise-related injury, it’s best to check out early.
It may also help you get the most out of your workout by illuminating your strengths and weaknesses, so you and your trainer (should you decide to hire one) can develop an effective routine.
2) Plan and establish attainable objectives
After deciding to begin an exercise routine, it’s important to map out a strategy that contains realistic milestones and objectives.
Creating a list of simple instructions is one approach. Then, as your fitness increases, you may add to it.
If you want to run 5 kilometres without stopping, you may start by making a schedule incorporating shorter runs.
When you’ve mastered the shorter runs, it’s time to work up to 5 kilometres.
Your odds of success will skyrocket, and you’ll stay motivated the whole way through if you set yourself some manageable initial objectives.
3) Create a routine out of it
Exercise success also depends on maintaining a regular regimen.
Making exercise a regular habit and doing it often helps individuals keep it up in the long run (9Trusted Source).
The systematic study found that switching to a better habit instead of an unhealthy one is an effective strategy for making the change stick (9Trusted Source).
In addition, establishing a pattern and sticking to it may be aided by doing things simultaneously each day, such as going to the gym.
You can turn exercise into a daily routine by scheduling sessions immediately after work or first thing in the morning. It would help if you chose a time that’s convenient for you.
Exercise Schedule Example for One Week
Here’s a simple, week-long workout plan that won’t cost you anything and can be finished in as little as half an hour to an hour every day, with no special equipment required.
Depending on your current fitness level, make this programme as easy or difficult as you want.
- Monday: 40-minute moderate-pace jog or brisk walk.
- Tuesday: Rest day.
- Wednesday: Walk briskly for 10 minutes. Then, complete the following circuits, resting 1 minute after each set but not between exercises. Stretch afterward.
- Circuit #1: 3 sets alternating 10 lunges for each leg, 10 pushups, 10 situps
- Circuit #2: 3 sets alternating 10 chair-dips, 10 jumping jacks, 10 air squats
- Thursday: Rest day.
- Friday: 30-minute bike ride or moderate-pace jog.
- Saturday: Rest day.
- Sunday: Run, jog, or take a long walk for 40 minutes.
The aforementioned 7-day schedule is only an example to get you started. These resources provide further information about how to become in shape:
- Get in shape in only 20 minutes!
- Regardless of your fitness level or experience, these 30 exercises will help you get the most out of your at-home workouts.
- In only 20 minutes, you may do six low-impact aerobic workouts.
Here are a few pointers for novices
1. Drink plenty of water
To keep from being dehydrated, it is important to drink fluids regularly throughout the day.
Maintaining peak performance during exercise requires regular fluid replacement, particularly in hot conditions (10, 11Trusted Source).
Furthermore, drinking water after your exercise might aid recovery and prepare you for your next workout (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
2. Piece of advice is to eat healthily
Eat healthily to fuel your workouts.
You need all the dietary categories to keep up a healthy energy level and get the most out of your exercise. Carbohydrates are essential since they provide energy for your muscles just before a workout (14Trusted Source).
Carbs are vital for replenishing glycogen levels and aiding in the absorption of amino acids into muscle during the recovery phase after exercise (15Trusted Source).
Protein also aids post-exercise muscle rehabilitation, tissue regeneration, and muscle mass gain (16Trusted Source).
Last but not least, eating healthy fats regularly has been demonstrated to aid in fat burning and muscle fuel preservation during exercise, allowing for more sustained physical activity (14Trusted Source).
For further resources on pre- and post-exercise nutrition, see the links above.
3. Get comfortable
It’s crucial to get warmed up before hitting the gym. By following these guidelines, you may boost your athletic abilities and reduce your risk of injury (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
As a bonus, it may lessen muscle pain and increase flexibility post-workout (18Trusted Source).
Aerobic activities, such as arm swings, leg kicks, and walking lunges, are a great way to start your workout.
Alternatively, get ready for your workout by completing light repetitions of the exercises you’ll be using. A good starting point is to stroll rather than immediately start to sprint.
4. Relax
Also crucial is allowing your body to cool down to room temperature.
After exercise, taking a few moments to relax will help you breathe more normally and lessen muscular discomfort (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
Light walking or stretching after a round of aerobic activity or weight training is one way to wind down.
5. Pay attention to your physical sensations
Keep in mind your physical limitations if you are not used to exercising daily.
Stop exercising immediately if you start to experience any pain or discomfort. Avoid injuring yourself by not pushing through the discomfort.
Also, keep in mind that speed and intensity are not always signs of a better workout.
For long-term success with a workout regimen, it’s best to take things slowly and steadily.
Inspiring Yourself: Tips for Keeping the Fire Alive
I was having a good time while exercise is a certain way to maintain interest and turn it into a routine. To put it another way, this makes working out less of a chore.
Keep your fitness routine interesting by switching things up, like in the example programme.
Joining a gym, taking a virtual fitness class like yoga or Pilates, working with a personal trainer, or participating in team sports are all great ways to enhance the motivation and pleasure of physical activity if possible and appealing to you (19Trusted Source).
Having a companion or workout partner may help keep you accountable and energised to keep up with your fitness programme.
Furthermore, recording your progress, such as charting your weightlifting levels or noting your running timings, will help keep you motivated to improve your records.
In conclusion
Starting a new workout programme might be tough. However, having meaningful goals might help you sustain a fitness regimen in the long run.
There is a wide variety of options when it comes to working out. Try out a few different ones until you find ones that work for you, and then mix things up every so often.
To avoid injuries, it’s best to gradually ease into your workouts, increase your fitness level steadily, and give your body time to recover regularly.
Taking concrete measures like keeping a progress journal or enrolling in an online group course will help you maintain your motivation and eventually reach your goals.
In addition to frequent checkups with your doctor, maintaining a nutritious diet and enough water intake are critical for keeping your body in tip-top shape.
The question is, “What are you waiting for?”
Get moving now!