It’s no secret that some kind of daily exercise combined with proper nutrition is a miracle pill for long healthy life. It’s a simple solution to so many ailments but people have the hardest time maintaining or even starting a regiment that will provide fantastic results.
In this post, I want to share with you how to start working out for the first time. Hopefully, you’ll get some tips and tricks to get started and once you start seeing results the desire to keep going will be ingrained in you.
The best part is, you don’t necessarily need to join a gym to get started. For some, the thought of joining a gym and working out with others is a huge deterrent, and they never get started. But there are so many other daily activities a person can do to start working out (How To Get Fit Without a Gym). Things like walking, running, bike rides, hikes, and specialty classes like yoga, Pilates, cross-fit are all within reach.
Another bump in the road for people is they compare themselves to other fitness people. There’s this intuitive feeling of comparing yourself to others, and it’s just not fair to yourself. The runner you see going down the road also started at some point. The fitness instructor you envy also started at some point. It’s important to realize you can’t compare your start to their current level.
What you need to do is stop comparing yourself to others and instead focus on finding something you WANT to do. If you feel like you HAVE to do a certain routine or exercise regimen but don’t enjoy it, you’ll never stick with it. So find something you enjoy and the likelihood that you’ll stick with it and reap the benefits skyrockets.
6 Steps on How To Start Working Out
To get started on your workout routine follow these tips and tricks:
1) Establish a Reason
There are all sorts of reasons for picking up a workout routine for a beginner. The best motivations are internal motivations. Meaning you’re “why” is something you want to do for yourself. An external motivation usually pertains to starting a workout routine for someone else. A husband, boyfriend, society, for example. These can be good motivations, but at some point, external motivations tend to fade away. If you can find a reason for you.
2) Invest in Yourself
When you get something for free, you usually don’t enjoy it to the same extent as something you used your hard-earned money for. The investments I’m talking about could be a new pair of shoes, a new bike, a new home workout routine you purchased. The investment will depend on the activity you enjoy doing. Some people just like to look cute in their new workout gear, and this provides them the kick in the pants to go exercise. And getting started is half the battle, if not more. No need to go overboard, but you would be surprised to see what a new pair of shorts and top does for your desire to get a workout in.
3) Start Slow
When you’re just starting it can be daunting to figure out how you’re going to get a workout routine every day or multiple times a week. People have jobs, kids, activities, and other responsibilities that can eat up our day quickly. Just getting a couple of 30-minute walks in during the week can get the motivational juices flowing. As you start to see and feel the benefits of exercise you can slowly carve out a bit more time to incorporate some time for fitness. But going hard and heavy from the get-go, is likely to make you burn out and just isn’t sustainable.
4) Be Consistent
For me, after work has always been the best time to workout. I can sometimes fit a workout, in the morning, but it just doesn’t mesh well for me and my body. Others who have very busy lives find that getting their workout in first thing in the morning before anybody is awake is the best time. Regardless of what time works for you, find a time routine that works well for you and stick with it. This way it won’t feel like you’re cramming a workout in when it’s unwanted or too busy.
5) Start With The Basics
If you’re new to working out jumping into the deep end of a new exercise routine can be a little painful and discouraging. Whichever exercise habit works for you, it might be good to get some instruction from a trainer, leader, mentor, or fitness expert. This way you’ll avoid getting injured or overdoing it. Pulling a muscle or hurting yourself will only set you back. Start slow and at a beginner’s level. Even if this means just staring with a bodyweight exercise (Bodyweight Burn Review) routine. We all have to start somewhere.
6) Get Some Equipment
This kind of goes along with investing in yourself. If the gym isn’t your thing you might need to upgrade your old dumbbells that have been sitting in the garage for years. There are plenty of home exercise programs (Tips on Building Muscle at Home) and inexpensive home gyms (Bowflex vs Total Gym) available to get you started. If the equipment/program is easily accessible, you’re more likely to use it.
7) Grab a Partner
Some days you just don’t feel like getting your workout in. But if you’re scheduled to meet a friend or workout partner, it’s highly likely you’ll follow through with your commitment to meet up and get your workout in. Find somebody that will hold you accountable, and encourage you to workout. Even if it’s a slow walk around the neighborhood, every little bit counts. And when you get done, you always feel better are glad you got your workout in.
Conclusion of Getting Started Working Out
I don’t know of anybody that regrets starting an exercise regimen. As the benefits start to accumulate and appear, the motivation to keep going gets easier and easier. Like a lot of things, just getting started is the biggest hurdle. Hopefully, the tips and tricks outlined above will assist you in starting a life of health and longevity.