Beginning a fitness routine always takes time, commitment, and motivation. In fact, the average person talks more about wanting to workout than actually committing to a workout routine. The excuse is either, “I don’t know where to start” or “I don’t have time.” Sure, these can be legit “excuses” but honestly, there should never be an excuse when it comes to your health. So if you’re a beginner in fitness, don’t be discouraged. You can and will achieve your goals!
By committing to a regular exercise routine, you will feel the health benefits, including a healthy body weight and experiencing both a positive physical and mental wellbeing.
How Do I Start?
Well, that kind of depends on you, and what you want to achieve. Sometimes it helps setting goals because then you have something to reach to.
If you are looking at working on your general fitness levels, then you might want to consider aerobic exercises. These include swimming, running, walking and cycling. Plus, this can set you up for endurance and maintaining a healthy heart, which will help you reach your goals. If you burn out quick, you will get frustrated.
However, if you are looking to increase your muscle strength, then weight lifting, resistance training, and sprinting, are just a few of the activity types you might want to put on your itinerary. Personally, this is what I go for. I enjoy lifting weights and quick bursts of high intensity exercises.
In addition, if you want to work on your body coordination, you might want to consider Pilates and a range of balancing exercises that can easily be done at home. Building a strong core is key to your overall fitness. A strong core can also prevent injuries and it will build up your endurance. Pilates and yoga are beneficial and vital to incorporate into your exercise regimen.
Be Realistic
Remember, don’t rush into high-intensity exercises. You might cause yourself an injury if you do, and consequently, you might give up on the idea of fitness altogether. The last thing you want is to get burnt out, especially when you just began exercising.
You need to make a plan! Set attainable goals that are suited to your current fitness level. If you are thinking about running, you should take shorter laps before trying anything too strenuous.
However, before taking on any exercise, it is always worth speaking to your doctor first. Especially for those of you with any prevailing health conditions, you don’t want to do something that might bring you into risk of harm. Your doctor can also recommend activities to you, and give you guidance on how far to push yourself.
Start With The Right Equipment
You won’t get very far if you aren’t equipped to exercise, so purchase what you need to get you started. If you’re running, you don’t need much more than a pair of running shoes and a comfortable outfit to wear. But if you’re planning on strength training, you will need to equip yourself with a set of beginner weights and fitness equipment. Think about the activities you are considering and then do your own research.
Of course, you might not need a lot of equipment if you are planning on using your local gym. A range of fitness programs are customized for those at an amateur level, as seen at club4fitness.com, and much of what you need to keep fit will be readily available for use. But, it is also worth purchasing something to use at home for those days when you just can’t be bothered to leave the house, or if you aren’t planning on using a gym at all. Sometimes a beginner wants to avoid all the “pros” in the gym any ways. Having a backup plan in your house is great!
For instance, I am a busy mom to three little children. I don’t go to the gym and so recently I purchased basic gym material. I also live in a super tight space and don’t have room for big bulky weights. Amazon has the perfect addition to a garage gym and these sets of weights are perfect for little rooms and effective to achieve a great workout.
Get Into The Habit
As soon as you fall out of an exercise routine, the harder it is to get started again, so schedule time each day to do something. Even if it’s only 20 or 30 minutes, it’s totally worth it! Remember, take a day off throughout the week. Your body will thank you and you need time to recover, especially as a beginner. You will experience a whole new level or soreness.
Find a workout buddy if you need the additional motivation. Not only will you up the fun factor when you have somebody to work with, but you will also have somebody by your side to encourage you. Occasionally I workout with a friend who also has three kids. Sure, it gets crazy, chaotic, and messy, but we always push each other and get the workout done. It’s always better to team up with someone else and get the work done!
Continue reading articles and researching all things fitness and exercise. The internet is full of home workouts, general health and fitness tips. There is a huge array of research done and readily available for you.
As always, enjoy what you’re doing and give yourself a little challenge. You can totally handle it! Your health isn’t something to be taken lightly. Treat it like it’s one of the most important aspects of your life. And after a while, you will no longer be a beginner in the fitness world!
