6 Tips To Start Exercising

It can seem like an insurmountable challenge to start exercising. For many people it is the hardest aspect of weight loss. But exercise is not optional for a healthy body. It’s a must.

What can we do to get over the hump of inertia and start exercising? Here are some tips.

Set A Realistic Goal

Set your goal of how much exercise you’d like to do, and how many times a week. Then decide how long you want to take to reach your goal. Once you’ve reached it, you can continue on with maintenance at that goal level.

I.e., You want to walk 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week and take 6 weeks to get into this habit. Then start with a smaller amount of time, such as 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week(see Start Small below) and gradually build up.

Start Small

If you’re not used to moving your body at all, then even a 10 minute walk is an improvement. Start the first week with 10 minutes and build from there. Maybe do 15 minutes the second week, or 10 minutes twice a day.

Make your baseline time realistic. If your schedule is very busy and you’re not accustomed to scheduling exercise in, then you need to sit down, and write it into your calendar in doable amounts. That will help keep you from being overwhelmed with a huge goal that part of you already wants to sabotage.

Choose What’s The Easiest for You

If you’re out of shape and resistant to moving your body, then trick your mind by making it as easy as possible. Maybe do a little walking or bike riding. Choose something that won’t tire you out too much as a beginner. It also helps to choose something that doesn’t require a lot of equipment or traveling a long time to get to a gym. The important thing is to just start exercising!

Also consider your age. As we get older, higher impact forms of exercise stress our joints. Vigorous exercise might tire us out too much. Use your body as a guide, along with common sense.

Choose What’s The Most Fun for You

If you love to dance, why not make that your exercise? If you love to chat with friends, get a buddy or two to go walking with. While you’re socializing, the time will quickly pass by.

Love gardening? Start with that for exercise. If you have joint pain, swimming can be an enjoyable way to get exercise and also help your joints feel better.

Exercise Early In The Day

Often people are too tired after work to exercise, or unexpected things come up. It helps to do your exercise in the morning. That way you will know it’s done for the day. Plus, it will help you feel great for your day ahead.

Let Go Of the Idea That You Need to Love Exercising

Do you believe that you need to really like exercising to do it? If so, you might have a long wait to get started! It would be better to just acknowledge that your body needs the movement, always has and always will. It’s best to not think about it too much. Just do it! And focus on how good you’ll feel when you’re done.