If you feel like you’ve been leading an excessively sedentary life and finally hit a turning point, it’s key you understand you cannot jump straight into intense, overwhelming exercise.
Don’t rush into things
After not having done any exercise for a prolonged period of time, it’s not exactly clever to immediately start running a marathon, nor will it be healthy on a psyche level.
You cannot aim to “run before you can walk“, as is often said. If your goal is to get back to a training habit again, it’s recommended you start from the beginning.
Company is key
You can choose to exercise either individually, or with a group of people who find themselves in the same position: people who exercise little or are starting from zero.
The latter will keep you from giving up, as it’s more likely you stay motivated, instead of losing motivation, which if often the case with lone trainers who start from the bottom. It often happens we feel demotivated when setting a goal we cannot immediately achieve.
Choose the right sport for you
Another essential aspect to bear in mind when starting is choosing the right sport for you. Try to choose types of sports that don’t take excessive amounts of energy. You should rather stick to activities like slow-walking, swimming or riding a bike.
Intensity is counterproductive
Sports that turn out to be too intense for us will become counterproductive. They will draw us out instead of provide us with energy.
They will also become unbearable on an emotional level, which is probably even more important than the physical aspect. If your mind is healthy, your body will follow.
The reason behind training
It’s also essential you pin-point why you want to start exercising: is it because you’ve been out for many years? is it because you used to exercise and stopped? is it because you just recently stopped and wish to continue? This matters in order to understand the intensity we can aim for when exercising.
Your age matters
The second aspect you should always consider is your age. People with a more advanced age will gravitate more towards articular mobility, as well as some strength. Thus, what they will need is low intensity elasticity exercises, for which are perfect activities like walking, yoga, or aquarunning.
In turn, if you find yourself to be more in the group of responsible adults with little time to spare, it’s more likely you desire to take part in stress-relieving exercises.
If this is your case, we recommend running: it’s simple and easy to perform, and you can get away from your daily life for a bit. It also provides you the flexibility of customizing your own schedule, according to your daily responsibilities.
What do you aim to achieve?
The third thing you should consider it the objectives you have set for yourself. You might want to just feel fit, or you might want to lose weight. Either way you have to customise your exercises according to what you want to obtain.
However, the first thing to work on is having an adequate physical conditioning in order to prevent injuries. You can do this through aerobic activities, in which heart rate stays low; stretching exercises to prepare muscle development; and combine it with a proper hydration and nutrition.
How frequently you train is important
The key to not giving up your new lifestyle also lays in how frequently you have set out yourself to train. At the beginning, you should not put yourself in too much physical strain, meaning you shouldn’t surpass the 3 times a week mark. Also remember to give yourself a day after each session to recover.
Modify your calendar as you go
However, don’t forget to modify your training calendar as you go. The more you train, the better your stamina and body will be. This, in turn, means you will be able to endure a higher amount of exercise.
Don’t let it turn into a source of stress
Exercising should be a priority in your life, but don’t let it turn into another source of stress: it should become the opposite. Your training hours should become a moment to get away from daily tensions.
If you feel good inside, your body will be but a reflection of it. And don’t forget: objectives should always be realistic, specific and tangible. Good luck!
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