Warm weather is here and this tends to be the time folks want to get their body moving while feeling better in their skin. But, not everyone knows where to start.
For most, the gym feels intimidating and not everyone has the pocket book to hire a coach. I get it. Not knowing where to start and not having direction feels overwhelming. But, there are ways you can approach it on your own and get results.
First, start with the basics. When it comes to starting a fitness routine, especially if you have been away from exercise for awhile or have never worked out before, you want to start out slow at your current fitness level and be realistic to your lifestyle.
No need to put all this unnecessary pressure on yourself by saying you are going to wake up early before work to workout, five days a week for an hour each day, only to realize that’s not working too well for you. Then you have the feelings of shame, defeat and frustration and you give up altogether. Let’s try not to do that.
The trick to anything that is going to stick is to ease into it and be realistic to yourself. Think of what activity you will stick with and when the designated times are each week to add this workout in. Be committed to those times, and if you can, add more in after a few weeks as you progress. To make it easier, schedule time to workout as you would any other appointment.
Here are examples:
• Few days of just stretching for 5 minutes
• Go for a 15-minute walk
• Go for a 15-minute jog
• Bike ride for 15 minutes
• Put together a 10-minute bodyweight circuit
—squats
—pushups
—mountain climbers
—bridge
Whatever it is you choose, make sure it meets your current fitness level. That’s how you increase strength and endurance. For example, if you go for a 15-minute jog and you realize that’s too much for you, shorten it to just a lap around the block for a few times as you build your endurance. If floor push ups are too hard currently, then modify to counter push ups and increase your strength to the floor.
While getting into a fitness routine, think of what you want out of this, what are the goals here. If you have a “WHY” are you doing this each week, the routine tends to stick if you commit yourself.
Ashley LaMorte is a nationally certified fitness instructor and has been in the fitness industry close to a decade. Over the years, she has gotten the opportunity to instruct group X boot camps at gyms and train private clients from all walks of life, all over the Bay Area. She now has her own mobile fitness business LaMorte Lift. Learn more at LaMorteLift.com.
