A Beginner’s Guide To Exercise

Exercise. Does the very word shoot a tingle of fear down your spine? You aren’t alone. But the fact of the matter is, exercise is a key element in your overall wellbeing and health. From your physical health to your mental wellbeing, exercise has a vast array of benefits for your body. If you are just starting out for the first time, or if you haven’t exercised for a while, it can be a bit daunting. Never fear! We are here to help! We have put together a guideline for starting your workout routine for the first time. On your marks. Get set. Go!

Things to know about starting exercise

People become unfit for several reasons. Whether it be a change in lifestyle or a move to a different area. Perhaps illness, pregnancy, or mental health challenges are involved. Either way, stopping exercising is much easier than starting it.

Are you a complete novice to exercise? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Or have just had a baby, and wondering when you can start exercising again? Well, we are also here to help. Perhaps you haven’t worked out for a while, and have suddenly realized that your body has changed? Again, we can help you with that.

There are just a few things that you need to know before getting started. Let’s take a look.

First things first…It takes a while to get fit

You’ve probably seen the ads on social media showcasing the radical results of a certain diet or workout routine after just a few weeks. But that is not entirely accurate. It will usually take you around three to four weeks to start noticing a difference in your body, and around three or four months to actually change your body and lifestyle.

Don’t let this hinder you, though. Once you start building a habit and actually start noticing those results, the exercise will become easier. It’s important for you to keep your end goal in sight, whether it be losing weight or building muscle. Don’t get discouraged by little setbacks or if you don’t see results instantly.

It’s also important to remember that everyone is different. Everyone has a different body and a different lifestyle. It’s also key to keep in mind that your body does change. As you age, it becomes more difficult to lose weight and build muscle. Unfortunately, it will take you longer to achieve your goals than when you were 20. But don’t let this demotivate you, it is still possible!

Your current health and lifestyle will affect your outcomes

If you are currently ill, overweight, struggling with diabetes, or pregnant, you’ll need to work out differently. Consult with your healthcare professional and physician to make sure you can actually start working out. You can also ask what you should be doing to keep fit.

Working out regularly also means that you will need to take a step back and re-look at your lifestyle. If you are regularly eating fast food and processed foods, and have a poor diet, it will take you longer to get fit.

The first thing you should consider is to adjust your diet. Cut the excess calories, cut out processed food, and start drinking more water. This will support your exercise journey and give you more energy to actually start exercising.

Your mental state will also impact your exercise. If you are suffering from depression, anxiety, or are mentally drained and exhausted, you might find it difficult to start up a new regime. However, it has been proven that exercise, even in minimal amounts, is a great way to tackle depression and mental illness.

What are the different types of exercise?

There are some forms of exercise that are great if you want to lose weight, while others are better for bulking.

The main types of exercise are:

• Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise
• Strength training
• Stretching
• Balancing exercises

Let’s take a look at each type of exercise in more detail.

1. Aerobic exercises

It’s time to get your sweat on and get that heart pumping! Aerobic exercises speed up your heart and breathing rate. Plus, they are beneficial for many body functions as they help increase the endurance of your heart and lungs.

Other benefits include:

• relaxes blood vessel walls;
• lowers blood pressure;
• burns body fat;
• lowers blood sugar levels;
• reduces inflammation;
• boosts mood;
• raises “good” HDL cholesterol.Over the long term, aerobic exercise will lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and depression.

Examples of aerobic exercise:

• swimming;
• cycling;
• rowing;
• walking;
• running;
• and group dance classes.

2. Strength training

Think muscles, muscles, and more muscles. But don’t worry it is almost impossible for women to get super ripped from strength training alone. Strength training is great if you want that lean, toned, and healthy look (coupled with a lean diet of course). Also, as we age, we lose muscle mass but luckily strength training builds it back.

Other benefits include:

• stimulates bone growth;
• lowers blood sugar;
• assists with weight control;
• improves balance and posture;
• reduces stress and pain in the lower back and joints.

Examples of strength training:

• lifting weight;
• working with resistance bands;
• and bodyweight exercise.

3. Stretching

Stretching isn’t just for yogis and ballet dancers! The truth is, everyone can benefit from it. Stretching helps maintain flexibility, which is super important. As we age, we lose flexibility in the muscles and tendons. Luckily, stretching can combat this!

Other benefits include:

• increases range of motion;
• reduces pain;
• reduces the risk of injury;
• increases flexibility.

Examples of stretching:

• neck roll;
• shoulder roll;
• forwards lunge;
• Downward-Facing Dog
• hip circles.

4. Balancing exercises

We aren’t expecting you to do a headstand and drink a cup of tea using your feet! Nothing like that. But balancing exercises are indeed critical for your overall health. They will make you feel steadier on your feet and also helps reduce the risk of falling.

Other benefits include:

• reduces the physical signs of aging;
• Improves balances;
• strengthens leg muscles;
• improves joint health.

Examples of balancing exercises:

• balancing on one foot;
• single-leg lift;
• yoga;
• tai chi.

5 useful tips to help you start exercising

Below are our top 5 useful tips to help you feel ready and motivated to start exercising.

1. Start slow

We cannot stress this enough! Start slow! Do not push yourself to dive into a full-blown extensive workout regime. Going in too hard too soon is actually counterproductive. When you exercise frequently, your body gets used to it, so you have to add more intensity. But if you have already started at a high intensity, it means you’ve missed several stages of the progression, and aren’t physically able to manage it. Instead, start building up the intensity of your workouts slowly but surely. Start increasing your kilometers, adding more weights, or perhaps even doing different exercises. If you have worked out previously in the past, unfortunately, you have to start from the beginning again. But don’t worry, that muscle memory is strong!

2. Always stretch

Stretching is a vital part of any workout to prevent injury. Stretch for 10 minutes before your workout to improve your overall performance. Then, stretch for 10 minutes once again at the end of your workout. This will allow your body to cool down and help your heart rate return to normal.

3. Listen to your body

Be sure to listen to your body at each stage. What feels good, what doesn’t feel good, and what exercises are beyond your current capabilities? If an exercise has really hurt you or you simply don’t like it, then don’t do it. Yes, exercise is challenging, but it shouldn’t be something you dread. And remember to take those all-important rest days! It can be tempting to go all in and exercise seven days a week with the hope of seeing faster results. But your body needs time to recover and repair.

4. Invest in exercise

A great way to motivate yourself to exercise is to spend some of your hard-earned money on it! Sign up for that one-year gym membership, book those dance classes in advance, and splurge on those leopard print leggings! Once you’ve already spent money on it, you’ll be more likely to go for it!

5. Make it fun

Exercise doesn’t have to be tedious. In fact, you can totally become something you love doing! Experiment with the different types of exercise until you fight something that tickles your fancy. Maybe it’s a dance class, core training, or sprinting on the treadmill with musical blasting? Whatever it may be, find your special something that makes you feel excited to hit the gym!

One last thing…

Starting exercise can be tough. It takes a lot of mental determination and goal-setting to really get going. The trick is to start slow and find something that you can stick with. For more advice on everything Sports & Fitness related, check out our library catalog. At Beginning.com, we are here to help you be the best version of yourself!