Exercise is something many of us know we should do as a way to keep our bodies healthy and in shape, but why do many of us also find it difficult to get started? There can be a number of reasons, and while some may be physical hindrances, a lot of times there are mental hindrances involved as well. In this post I give several tips on how you can get your own workout routine started so it becomes a part of your lifestyle and can be something you stick with in the long-run. The info I share here is from both my personal experience, and stuff I’ve learned from experts along the way in my health/fitness journey.
UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM AND YOUR FITNESS LEVEL
When looking into starting an exercise routine, it can be tempting to jump right into the heavy stuff. Whether your ultimate goal is to lift heavy, run a marathon, or perhaps just lose weight and become stronger, none of these goals can be reached in a single day, as much as we’d like it to. If you’ve had little to no experience with working out or any type of training but would like to start working out, it’s important to assess your fitness level so you can decide what types of workouts, workout duration, and workout intensity you can safely start off with. This way you can start off on the right track with a decreased risk of injury, as well as a less likely chance of burning out too quickly so you can get the most out of your workouts.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MICROGOALS AND BEING PATIENT WITH YOURSELF
As mentioned above, any health or fitness goal you might have is going to take some amount of time to achieve. Sure, they’ll be times when society throws in our faces some sort of “quick fix” like “how to flatten your tummy in less than a week” or some type of insanely restricted fad diet. As much as these things might seem great at first, they typically have the reverse effect and can pose a risk to your health and wellbeing, and additionally they often don’t encourage long-term sustainable healthy habits.
Instead of looking for a “quick fix” or keeping your initial focus on the bigger goal (s) you might have, create microgoals for yourself. Start to make small lifestyle changes gradually, and, with some time and patience, these will lead to your achievement of bigger goals later down the line. For instance, you might start off by telling yourself to aim for 30 mins of some type of moderate physical activity at least 3 days of the week. As times goes on and you start to get stronger, you can work up to increasing the amount of time you workout, the number of days a week, intensity/style, amount of weight you use, etc.
In the end, microgoals allow you to see, and feel, results faster than being fixated on a huge fitness goal that will take a lot longer for results to manifest. The latter situation also typically leads to frustration, confusion, and lack of motivation and drive to keep going.
PLAN AND CREATE A SCHEDULE
In order to start a workout routine, you need to have a plan. The best part about making a plan and creating a schedule for working out is that you have the ability to maneuver around other elements of your personal schedule. If working out early in the morning works best most days in accordance with your long busy days of work, school, etc., then perhaps aim to get up 20-30 minutes earlier in order to have some extra time to fit it in. This might be more difficult to do at first, but the more you do it the easier it will become and your body will get accustomed to waking up and exercising at a certain time. And remember, don’t think that you have to devote an entire hour or more every single day to work out. Not everyone has that much time most days anyway to work out. Thankfully, it’s possible to get in an effective workout in even just 20 minutes, with the right strategy. However, no matter if your usual workout time is 20 or 60 minutes, it’s important to be consistent. You should aim to have a plan that is as consistent as possible in structure because this greatly assists your body in getting used to and adapting to your new workout routine.
When creating a plan and schedule for working out, you also have the liberty to do some experimenting and figure out what you like best and how your body feels with it. For example, I typically work out in the morning, anywhere from soon after I get up, to the late morning hours. I choose to workout in the morning whenever I can primarily because:
- a) it gives me a rejuvenating amount of energy, a sense of accomplishment, and helps clear my mind and raise me out of that “funk”, and truly I can’t think of a better way to start my day. And,
- b) I love getting my workout out of the way, and I can go about the rest of my daily tasks and activities not having to worry about the need to get it done. I also notice that many times as the day goes on, I get a little more tired and by the late afternoon and evening most days, I just don’t have that same power and stamina as I do in the morning.
FINDING A WORKOUT BUDDY (OR BUDDIES)
If you have a desire to begin working out but lack the motivation to start, finding a workout partner (or perhaps even a group of people) may help increase motivation which furthermore can improve overall performance. This can be anything from grabbing a friend or two and planning workouts together whether it be working out at home or in the gym, to perhaps joining a fitness class with an even larger group of people. The saying “there is strength in numbers” often stands true when it comes to fitness, as many people find working out with other people to help keep their motivation up, as well as induce a healthy amount of competition which can help them push harder and achieve maximum results from their workouts.
Of course, working out with a partner or a group is entirely optional. But it might be worth giving a try, especially if you are in need of a motivational boost. I personally like the privacy of working out in my living room or bedroom alone and the way it helps me zone in and focus on my workout more with fewer distractions, but this is just me. However, even I enjoy occasionally hanging with a friend and crushing a workout together.
MAKE SURE YOU DO SOMETHING THAT YOU ENJOY
Lastly, although one of the most important points to consider, you’ll never be able to become a long-term exerciser if you do not derive any pleasure or enjoyment from your workouts. Instead of dreading the time you set aside to workout, you want to make sure you look forward to it. Yes, there will be times you will have to mentally rise above the discomfort and push yourself forward. However, overall you want to make sure you generally enjoy the type (s) of exercise that you do. And everyone may be different considering what types of workouts or physical activities they enjoy. Running is for some people, while weight training is for others. Still, others may enjoy biking, swimming, or some other sport as their primary form of physical activity instead of just going to the gym all the time. You just want to make sure you find something that YOU like and making sure that you’re doing it because YOU enjoy it, not because someone else is doing it.
Perhaps you’re not sure what you enjoy, or would enjoy. If this is the case, you definitely have options, and just like with creating a schedule, you have the ability to do some experimenting to figure out what suits you best.
Let me know if you guys found these tips helpful and I do encourage you to take every one into consideration if you’re thinking of beginning a workout routine! I also want to know more about you guys, so I put this question out here for you to think about and I’d love to hear your answers!
~ What (if anything) seems to be primarily hindering you from consistently making the time/effort to exercise? ~
Fearlessly and Fitfully Made 