We all know that exercise is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle. And yet, many of us don’t actually take the time to work out. At the beginner of each year, we promise ourselves that we’ll start working out, and we do . . . for about a month. After that, we fall back into old habits.
This is often because people don’t go about working out the right way. They start at full speed, and once they realize that’s too hard, they give up. The truth is that there are a few things beginners should know about working out, and we’re here to share them with you. A Beginner’s Guide to Working Out-
Nutrition
Working out isn’t just about working out. You also need to focus on nutrition. Why? Because you need to make sure that you are fueling your body enough to get through your workouts, and also because combining your nutrition with your workouts will help you reach your fitness goals sooner.
For example, if you want to lose weight, you may want to start tracking calories so that you can make sure you are in a calorie deficit. If you want to build muscles, you need to increase your protein intake. Reaching your nutrition goals only through your meals is often hard to do, which is why it can be a good idea to try some supplements. If you have no idea which supplements there are, have a look at this.
Choose your exercise
If you are under the impression that to be working out you need to spend hours in the gym, followed by hours of running, you’re wrong. While those two things are great forms of exercise, they certainly aren’t the only ones.
Not everyone has the time or energy for these types of intense workouts, and some people may have injuries that prevent them from doing certain workouts. You first need to determine whether your body can do high-impact exercise. You can learn more about the difference between high-impact and low-impact exercises here.
Next, choose a type of workout that works for you. For some people, this will be strength training. For others, cardio. Some people may prefer going for walks or doing yoga. Maybe you even want to try a combination of these. The type of exercise doesn’t matter so much; what matters is that you start somewhere.
Build a routine
It’s not a good idea to go to the gym or start any type of exercise without a routine. You will likely waste a lot of time, and your workout won’t be as effective. Start by deciding how many days a week you want to work out. Next, decide what you want to do on those days.
Finally, follow a program. There are many free programs available online, as well as YouTube videos you can follow along to. This is sure to make it easier for you to stick to your plan and find what works for you.
Ask for help
Everyone started out as a beginner. No one knew exactly how to do every kind of exercise perfectly, or how to make sure that they are reaching their nutrition goals. It’s easy to give up when you don’t know the answers. However, asking for help will get you much further in your workout goals. If you just joined a gym, you likely have a lot of questions.
While it may be intimidating, you need to ask people for help if you need it. Most of the time, they’ll be more than happy to take the time to explain something to you.
Take rest days
It seems counterproductive to take rest days when you’re working out, which is why many beginners avoid them and instead work out every single day. This is not a good idea. You will soon burn yourself out, and you may even injure yourself. Taking a day off now and then will actually make your workouts more effective. Rest days are important, so be sure to incorporate them into your routine.
Start small
If you start by running too far or lifting the highest weights, you won’t get anywhere very fast. Firstly, you will probably injure yourself. Secondly, consistency is much more important than intensity.
Start slow and small, so that you can make sure you are keeping the proper form. As you grow stronger, you can start pushing yourself. Also don’t expect immediate results. It will take a while to see any meaningful kind of progress, but if you stay committed, it will happen eventually.
