How to Start Working Out
Regular physical activity has been shown to improve health, increase lifespan, and help you sleep better. Exercise is an incredibly powerful tool to help improve your life. If you’ve never exercised before, or have been sidelined by an injury, it is possible to get (back) into fitness. Here are some tips to help ensure your exercise program is safe, impactful, and hopefully, fun.
- Measure your current fitness level.
- Check in with your doctor and make sure your body is ready to take on new physical activity.
- Pay attention to how movement makes you feel, notice when you get winded, and what makes your muscles sore.
- Make a plan and set realistic goals.
- Based on your current level of fitness create a plan. Start small and plan to build from there.
- Gather needed resources.
- Make sure you have comfortable shoes and clothing, and any equipment, or gym memberships you need.
- Start slowly and pay attention to your body.
- You don’t need to run a marathon on your first day. Start off slowly and pay attention to your body. If you can’t walk the next day, you likely over did it.
- Build a sustainable habit.
- Choose a time and cadence to exercise that you can do week after week. Consistency is key to building lasting results.
- Check your progress.
- After several weeks schedule a follow-up with your doctor and reassess how you feel. Notice what activities leave you feeling winded and tired. Take note and remember to check back in again in a few weeks.
- Make changes as needed to your schedule and program.
- As you become more fit, or your schedule changes, you’ll likely need to make changes to your program.
Creating change and starting a new habit can feel intimidating, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By carefully planning and pacing yourself you can develop a healthy habit that will last a life-time.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-start-exercising https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20048269#:~:text=Start%20slowly%20and%20build%20up,amount%20of%20time%20you%20exercise.
