Exercise Tips for Newbies: How to Get Started
By Genevieve Cunningham
Everyone knows that exercise is good for you. We’re given the same advice throughout our lives over and over: Find an exercise routine you like, and stick with it! We’re told to exercise if we want to lose weight, if we want to boost overall health, if we want to just feel better. But still we avoid working out. Sometimes it’s because we don’t have time or energy. Other times, it’s because we lack simple motivation. If you’re new to the exercise world, but you’d really like to make the habit stick for good, take a look at these simple exercise tips.
Start Slow
Do not bite off more than you can chew. If you do this when it comes to working out, you’ll absolutely lose motivation and be left with a sore body that has to start all over. Instead, begin slowly. Your body isn’t going to change overnight, so don’t rush it. Do something low impact, and only do it for a few minutes. As you get better, add time and intensity. In the world of health and fitness, slow and steady wins the race every time.
Get a Group Together
Working out alone takes serious discipline. Discipline that a beginner may not have just yet. To help you stay motivated, find a group of people to work out with. They might be family, friends, or total strangers that you met at the gym. This allows you to hold each other accountable and push each other when it gets tough. Sharing the burden helps everyone in the group stay at it and push toward bigger and better fitness goals.
Experiment
Too many people try one or two types of exercise, don’t like it, and assume they hate every kind of workout that’s available. You don’t like running? That’s totally OK. Try something else. The options are endless when it comes to exercise, so don’t limit your choices. Get creative and do something that sounds fun to you. Dance, yoga, walking, aerobics, swimming … there are exercises for every personality, so stick with it and enjoy.
Working out is a tough habit to start and keep, but it’s possible if you go about it the right way. And it's definitely a habit that is worth the effort. Use these tips as a great starting point. Before you know it, you’ll be loving your routine and getting in the best shape of your life.