How to start exercising again
Deciding to start exercising again or starting a new fitness routine is one of the best things you can do for your health.
But it can also be overwhelming. How do you motivate yourself to put on your sneakers when you haven’t run in months? Should you go back to the interval training program you tried before or look for something more fun? And how can you safely ramp up your workouts if you’re feeling out of shape?
To help you create an exercise plan and stick to it, we asked fitness professionals for advice on setting realistic goals, reducing injury risk and actually having fun.
Make it easy to win first.
To attempt change radically your behavior for a broad goal, such as getting in shape, requires a level of motivation that is difficult to maintain. Set instead measurablebite-sized goals, such as exercising at least 10 minutes daily.
It’s okay if you don’t match what your peers are doing or even what you’ve been able to achieve in the past. Pushing too hard too quickly will only make you more susceptible to exhaustion and injury, and may cause you to stop exercising.
You’re more likely to repeat an activity you enjoy, so try picking up a sport you enjoyed in high school or combine your training with your favorite TV show or podcast. And limit how much you exercise – at least initially – so you can reach and even exceed your goal. This will encourage you to continue.
“People become hyper-fixated on cultivating motivation,” he says Al Hyle, a strength coach who specializes in helping people with ADHD, who sometimes have trouble starting activities. “You just have to do something a little bit. Then the motivation will come naturally.”
Schedule time for muscle building.
Once you get back into regular physical activity, you can start incorporating exercises to build muscle strength and flexibility. This will make it easier to perform more strenuous activities and protect your joints from injury, said Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a functional medicine practitioner in New York.
To start: Try bodyweight exercises such as push-ups or squats at home or use weight machines at a gym. Most experts recommend doing three sets of eight to 12 repetitions for each exercise, focusing on your fitness level form. Then add one or two new exercises every week until you’re training all muscle groups – chest, back, shoulders, arms, abs and legs – at least twice a week.
Later on: Add resistance when you’re ready, or switch from a set number of reps to working your muscles to exhaustion. You can determine when to start this by rating your review degree of perceived exertion. On a scale of 1 to 10, you should be about in the middle, Mr. Hyle said. If it feels easier, make your workout more challenging.
Gradually increase cardiovascular endurance.
No matter what type of exercise routine you start, you will need to work on cardiovascular endurance. Most people can start with low-impact activities such as walking or even just taking the stairs at the office.
To start: Try increasing the duration of light cardio by a few minutes every few weeks. Your heart’s ability to pump blood, also called stroke volume, improves quite quickly, says Benjamin Gordon, assistant professor of applied physiology and kinesiology at the University of Florida. “In the first ten days of training alone, we see about a 10 percent change in people’s stroke volume,” said Dr. Gordon. This means that you will soon be able to exercise for longer.
Later on: You want to build up 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week to get the best benefits, said Dr. Gordon.
Plan backup workouts and celebrate successes.
Prepare for the things that have messed up your fitness routine in the past. For example, if you skipped training because you didn’t have time to fit it into your day, consider setting reminders to exercise at 6 a.m., 12 p.m., and 5 p.m. so you can fit in at least one of those times. to book. Or try exercising in short bursts: do squats or balance on one foot while you brush your teeth, or stash some hand weights on your desk to do a few reps while you’re on the phone.
If your inner critic tells you to quit because you’ll never see results, practice saying something like, “I got this.” I’m already stronger now than when I started.”
Four small steps towards fitness, Mr Hyle said. Take photos or do a monthly effort measurement to gauge your progress, or ask yourself if it feels easier to carry your groceries. Please note that it may take some time before you notice any external changes.
“Why the hurry?” said Doctor Gordon. “This is a lifestyle change, so you have to follow the philosophy that you are going to try to continue to improve fitness for life.”