How to Start Exercising

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. Its primary benefits help keep your body at a healthy weight, build muscle mass and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Additionally, studies have proven that regular exercise can lift mood, promotes better sleep, boosts mental health, and regulates hormones. Overall, regular exercise is powerful and can improve many aspects of your daily life. 

If you are not in a current workout routine or regime, there are strategies you can adopt to help keep up the discipline and determination. You first want to determine what type of exercise is going to work best for your body and shape. There are various types of exercise including,

1. Aerobic. The core of any fitness program should include some form of continuous movement. Examples include swimming, running, and dancing.
2. Strength training. These exercises help increase muscle power and strength. Examples include resistance training, plyometrics, weightlifting, and sprinting.
3. Calisthenics. These moves are usually performed without gym equipment using large muscle groups. They’re done at a medium aerobic pace. Examples include lunges, situps, pushups, and pullups.
4. High-intensity interval training (HIIT). This type of exercise includes repetitions of short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by low-intensity exercises or rest periods.
5. Boot camps. These are timed-based, high-intensity circuits that combine aerobic and resistance exercises.
6. Balance or stability. These exercises are designed to strengthen muscles and improve body coordination. Examples include Pilates, tai chi poses, and core-strengthening exercises.
7. Flexibility. These types of exercises help muscle recovery, maintain range of motion, and prevent injuries. Examples include yoga or individual muscle-stretch movements.

Before you get started there are a few things you want to consider:

1. Check with your healthcare provider if you’re concerned about starting a workout routine and what your goals are. This would also be a good time to get an annual physical exam if you have not done so!
2. Make a plan and set realistic goals
3. Make it a habit. Furthermore, making a schedule or exercising at the same time every day are good ways to sustain your routine and make it last.
4. Do an exercise that you will most likely enjoy and consider doing them with friends!

A few tips for beginners:

1. Stay hydrated before and after your workout. 
2. Warm up! Make sure whatever exercise you are considering that you warm up prior because the last thing you want to do is injure yourself. It can also help improve your flexibility and reduce soreness post workout. 
3. Cooling down after a workout too is just as important. Taking a new minutes to cool down post-workout can help restore normal breathing patterns and reduce the chance of muscle soreness
4. Remember to listen to your body. Especially when you’re first starting something new or adopting a new routine, don’t overdo it. Overdoing it may not only increase your chances for injury, but you could burn out and can lead to not sticking to your workout plan. Taking your time to progress through your fitness program can help you maintain your routine in the long term and make the most of it.

Taking your time to progress through your fitness program can help you maintain your routine in the long term and make the most of it. You can do it!