How to start exercising? Our proven methods
How to start exercising? What are the benefits of physical activity? How to exercise correctly and what forms of activity to choose? Check it out!
Physical activity complements a healthy, balanced diet. Movement is an important element in the prevention of many diseases and positively influences our well-being and supports weight reduction or maintenance of a healthy weight.
People who are even slightly active have much more energy and better moods. But what if you don’t like exercising despite knowing this?
How to convince yourself to be active and, most importantly, how to start exercising? Check it out!
What benefits can physical activity bring us?
- Strengthens the immune system
- Regulates blood pressure
- Regulates metabolism
- Lowers blood sugar levels
- Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disorders
- Prevents osteoporosis
How to exercise?
- Physical activity should be a constant part of our lives. It is important to choose movements that suit our abilities, preferences, and personality. For precise and calm people, activities like walking, cycling, yoga, or Pilates may be better, while for energetic people, activities like Nordic walking, running, swimming, or spinning may be more suitable.
- Don’t overburden your body. Gradually accustom your body to the effort. Daily movement should be pleasant for you. Too intense and too long workouts, especially at the beginning, can discourage you and even harm your health. Plan a gradual entry into a regular training cycle. Don’t set unrealistic goals. If you can’t run continuously and effortlessly for 30 minutes, it won’t change in a week.
- When planning your physical activity, consider:
1. What forms of activity do you like and are most pleasant for you?
2. How much time can you devote to it without disrupting your weekly schedule? It’s best to set fixed hours for your physical activity, e.g., in the morning before starting daily duties or during the day when you usually have more free time.
3. After choosing a realistic plan, you must promise yourself that you will execute it. You need to show a bit of motivation. Consider how beneficial it will be for your health, well-being, and physique.
- When planning your physical activity, consider:
- Despite so many benefits of physical activity, it is often heard that someone would like to start exercising but doesn’t have time for it. One of the most common excuses is that after a hard day at work, there are many other things to do, and then we have no strength left. But the truth is that between these important things, we spend a lot of time on less important things like sitting in front of a computer or TV. If something is important to you, you will find a way to do it, and if not, an excuse. It is only important to choose the right exercises for yourself.
- Quality, not quantity, counts. During any activity, focus on it and think about nothing else. If your movement is more relaxing – relax, and if it is intense – focus on the correct posture and muscle work. Exercise accurately and calmly. Never rush.
What forms of activity to choose?
- Choose different forms of activity, but only those that bring you joy. It’s good to think about all muscle groups and engage them during the movement.
- Exercising at home and outdoors is a great choice, especially for those who have little time. However, it’s worth diversifying your exercises and trying new forms of movement.
On the internet, you can find many great instructional videos, e.g., for home Pilates, yoga, fitness, FBW (Full Body Workout), etc. If you exercise in a gym, it’s worth attending some classes from time to time to learn new forms of movement and maybe engage other muscle groups. - What forms of activity do we recommend? Physical activity for us is any movement. The most important thing is that this movement brings you joy. If you like gardening, walking, house cleaning, or dancing in the privacy of your home – choose this type of activity for yourself. However, as mentioned – try something new from time to time, as you may also like it.
How to overcome the fear of physical activity?
- You’re not in the group of people who always have an excuse and still don’t exercise? Maybe it’s because of fear of exercising. It’s normal that physical activity can cause anxiety. The hardest part is to survive the initial period. If you get through this, you will surely start to like movement. Improvement in well-being appears quite quickly – this will confirm that your choice was right.
- Physical activity is often associated with pain. Sometimes there may be minor muscle pain, e.g., when our bodies are not sufficiently stretched. Then it’s worth thinking about introducing more stretching exercises. Stretching, even gentle, should be a constant part of our physical activity. However, if you feel strong pain during training – stop exercising. Physical activity should never cause pain.
- Never worry about other people’s opinions about your training, appearance, fitness, etc. You also don’t judge anyone and don’t compare yourself to anyone. What is your goal? A better version of yourself – and only focus on that.
What else to pay attention to?
- It’s good to stretch your muscles, especially before and after training. This way you can avoid sore muscles, take care of muscle elasticity, improve circulation, strengthen joints, and firm your body. Initial stretching exercises must be performed slowly and accurately. Too dynamic movements can lead to injury.
- If you exercise in the morning – you can train on an empty stomach. Breakfast, preferably protein-carbohydrate – eat immediately after getting out of the shower.
- If you exercise in the evening – eat a light and small protein meal after training.
- Exercise at least 1 hour after the last meal.
- Make sure to have comfortable workout clothes, especially shoes if you exercise outside the home.
- Always exercise in a ventilated room.
- Set realistic training and body goals. Don’t overload your body and don’t measure your results in kilograms. Body effects come over time – first, the circumferences decrease, and then the weight. It’s not worth focusing too much on this, as it can only be a reason for unnecessary stress. Better focus on the joy you get from exercising, improved fitness and strength, and improved well-being.
It’s important to take care of your health, as it affects both body and mind. Check out our ways to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Physical activity brings us many benefits. Everyone can find some form of movement suitable for themselves. We hope that if you don’t exercise every day, we have convinced you to introduce at least gentle movement. And if you exercise, let us know in the comments what forms of activity you like the most!
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