If you’re new to regular exercise, sometimes getting started can be your biggest obstacle. How do you find a workout that works for you? And how can you craft a workout schedule that will help you meet your goals. We’ve got some suggestions to help you get started.
- Assess your situation. What are your goals? Do you want to lose weight, bulk up, increase your endurance, or do you have another goal in mind? Write your goals down and keep them in your mind. Try creating goals using the SMART method, making them specific, measurable, attainable, and timely. Consider how much time you can realistically devote to exercise and decide where you plan to work out.
- Plan to warm up. You should always warm up with something simple to get the blood flowing and your muscles ready to exercise. This could be five or ten minutes on a bike or the rowing machine, running up and down the stairs, or jumping jacks.
- Keep your workout simple. Choose five exercises and work on getting strong with them. To provide a full-body workout with only five exercises, choose compound movements that use many muscles at once. These can help you improve flexibility, muscular fitness and aerobic endurance, and can also help you target specific muscles. For example:
- Squats, lunges, or box jumps for your quads.
- Deadlifts, hip raises, or step-ups for your butt and hamstrings.
- Overhead press, push–ups, or dips for your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
- Chin-ups, pull-ups, or bodyweight rows for your back, biceps, and forearms.
- Planks, exercise ball crunches, jumping knee tucks, or hanging leg raises for your abs and lower back.
- Know how much of each exercise to do. Try three to five sets for each exercise, five to ten reps per set, and about 60 seconds between sets. Start slowly and work up to a more intense workout as you get stronger. Keep your workout under an hour in the beginning and stretch after you’re done.
- Keep a workout journal. Measuring what you’re doing can help you improve your workout over time. Write down what you did, including sets, reps, date, and time spent. Write down your goals, and track your progress as you go along, noting how each workout compares to the one before it. Make notes of what you want to improve and how you plan to do that.
Whatever kind of workout helps you reach your fitness goals, a supportive environment can enhance the experience. At the Wellbridge Family of Athletic Clubs, we offer world-class training that keeps up-to-date with the latest in health and wellness. At our clubs, you’ll be greeted by our friendly team before you’re challenged and motivated by top-notch instructors in our fitness classes. You’ll make new friends because you belong here. Join today or contact us to learn more.