How can I start exercising?
Hello, I am new to this. I'm not very healthy right now, and I know it's probably important to start doing some exercise. But, I don't know where to really start and I kind of lack the motivation? Even when I really want to, I just can't get myself to do it. I don't know how to work on this :( I want to do better & be better. I also just don't really know a lot about the topic in general. Any information/advice/etc would be appreciated!!
Answers
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Clos eyour eyes and leave out the door. It is just the first step to make.
Sometimes it is good to make an appointment with youself in the calendar and put this one on premium or mark it red.
Best tipp to make an appointment with a friend, but I know from experience that this is often not consistent.
Hope this helps.
Regards. Bee
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Start slowly and work your way up. Walking is great exercise; all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes. If you can't get outdoors, try walking indoors. Google Walk at Home on Youtube. You can even find 10 minute walks.
Beginner yoga is excellent too. Yoga with Adrienne is a favorite.
I agree with Bee. Make an appointment with yourself. Mark the calendar or keep track on a spreadsheet (I'm a numbers gal). Keep trying new active things, and after awhile you will find your groove and make exercise a new habit.
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When I started, I got a dog who would need to be walked. He got me moving. He was my motivation, my obligation the one I wouldn't let down.
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First, I want to be clear about one thing that may not apply to you, but for sure is a common misperception among new folks here: To improve fitness and burn a few extra calories, exercise doesn't need to be gym-based stuff, doesn't need to be some punitively intense thing, doesn't need to be unpleasant. If a person likes gymming, great. Same for intensity. I don't know anyone who likes "unpleasant".
Ideally, find some way of moving more that you personally enjoy, or at least find practical and tolerable. There are so many options: The videos mentioned above, walking, dozens of kinds of dancing, a martial art, yoga, active VR or video games, swimming or other pool activities, playing with kids, gardening, hobbies like carpentry that involve movement, and many other options.
Once you find that thing or combination of things, the sweet spot is a total exercise plan that is manageably challenging. Ideally, it would leave a person feeling energized for the rest of the day(s), not fatigued. (A few minutes of "whew" right after an activity is fine.)
The "enjoy" part is because any exercise we enjoy, we'll tend to do more often, and that's 100% more beneficial than some theoretically better exercise we procrastinate and skip at the slightest excuse. The "manageable" part avoids overdoing (which is counter-productive for weight loss OR fitness improvement. The "challenge" part is what gradually creates fitness improvement.
A total exercise plan considers the types of activity, the frequency, the intensity, and the duration - that should add up to the "enjoyable, manageable, mildly challenging".
Over time, with repetition, the combination that's manageably challenging will get easy. If the person wants to keep making fitness improvement, it's then time to increase one of those things - frequency, intensity, duration, activity type - to keep the manageable challenge.
I can't tell you exactly what to do, but the above is how I'd suggest thinking about it. Don't make it more unpleasant or difficult than it minimally needs to be. Thinking "enjoyable, manageable, mildly challenging" IME reduces the amount of "motivation" required. Just think of ways to introduce more movement into life - whether official exercise, or daily life routine. That'll work.
Best wishes!
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Put on sneakers and walk out the front door. Just go for a walk! When you go shopping, park in a spot further away. Sneak in movement when you can.
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pick an activity that you think you can 2-4 times a week and then start by setting your timer for 2mins, and tell yourself that if you aren’t enjoying it you just have to do 2mins.
ideally habit stack it, so it’s easy to continue to do, so for am walks set your clothes out ready to go, for after work take your shoes and change them before you drive to where you walk. Make it easy for future you to follow through 🙂3 -
Consider trying a beginner class on tv or utube, at a local community center - for ideas, follow along.
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Start slow; start walking, doing beginner classes, or even join a sport or two. The thing is that beginning to exercise is really slow and you definitely won't like it (I know I didn't), especially because you're physically "weak" (not an insult, just meant you're not really used to anything yet?) but as soon as you get into a good rhythm it'll get better, I promise! Find exercises you like to do (ex. After a while I found out I really like running and weightlifting) and just enjoy the process. Working out will make you feel a lot better, and all you need to do is just… begin. Even if you don't enjoy it, even if it's 6 in the morning and you're preparing to work out and you're thinking "Ugh, I really don't want to do this," it WILL get better! You need to have that "I won't stop even if I'm tired because this is how I will get better and I will thrive from it" sort of mindset (It's what I normally have nowadays) and yeah. Remember that you need discipline and not motivation to keep working out consistently, and it's okay if you get things wrong because if you keep doing this stuff you WILL improve. I wish you the best of luck on your workout journey!!
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@_Joe_Jow_ said "You need to have that "I won't stop even if I'm tired because this is how I will get better and I will thrive from it" sort of mindset" (end quote)
Spot on self-talk - and about the process too...
Sometimes it is difficult to notice the improvement - until a bit later you notice something is a bit different/better, maybe a little bit more energy, spring in the step, ready to walk longer, faster, try a heavier handweight - the results are so totally worth it.
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Above comments are all excellent!
You're making YOU a priority, improving your health, and exercise is part of that, thus make your exercising a priority as well. For me, I hit the gym before work as know after I just want to go home, and parking, crowds are easier. And walk the dog on weekends. Look at your routine (where can this fit in), what do you enjoy? (dancing to the TV, walking the malls or trails, swimming, lifting filled milk gallons, activity is activity!), and plan/prepare ahead. If you have a friend to be accountable with, that helps too!
What have you been doing during the past 2 weeks? And what is the plan for next week?
You can do it!!
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A lot of great advice. Simply shift your perspective to move more. I do the same thing with eating better too
. What tiny easy things can I do to move more and eat better. ..and then I do them..\
Don't buy workout clothes and join a gym and sign up for a bootcamp course. You'll de done before you start. You can take two trips to the kitchen sink. Park farther away from the store. …and walk and get your mail every day instead of once a week. Start with stuff like that and it builds on itself.
Someone mentioned getting a dog. Gosh.. do you know how many times a day I bend over and move because of my little dog? A lot!
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Mall walking can be a relaxing and climate controlled way to get started moving more. Window shop while you do a few laps!
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You’ve already done something significant by admitting you want to make a change. That’s the first and often the most challenging step! There’s no need to strive for perfection or to be “all in” right from the start. Just begin from where you are.
Sometimes we wait to feel motivated before doing something, but it actually works the other way around. Start with something small, and motivation tends to show up after you take action.
Play some music you love, step outside if you have the chance, or engage in activities that feel enjoyable rather than “hard.” When movement is fun or relaxing, you’re much likelier to keep at it!
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I once read an interview with an ultra runner, and she said something that really stuck with me when they asked about how she motivates herself for training.
'Its not about whether or not I want to, the decision has already been made'
So now I make the decision. In the same way I clean the bathroom, it's not about what I want -it's just something that needs to happen.
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I'll walk with you! Let's make a plan to walk on the same day.
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It looks like evemorningstar is a wisher, not a doer. She hasn't responded to any of the amazing advice on here. I doubt she has even looked. To all the Doers here, don't waste your time and effort writing all the best/sound/ advice for people who don't appreciate it. There's a ton of information on here that can help all these wishers. They are just being lazy and want to know the "secret" to instant results. If they realize that they are the problem, and that they need to change their lifestyle (the same thing all the Doers have done), and they make prioritizing their health over convienience and tictoc, then they will be on the right track. All the information is on this site. You can't help wishers.
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My experience here suggests that more people read a thread than just the OP. A hint we can see even in this thread is that there are click reactions, in some cases more than one click on the same reply: Someone is reading.
Some people are hesitant even to post in public here. I won't speak for others, but I don't consider replying to be a waste of time just because the OP doesn't read/reply. I've gotten DMs and such from people who'd read things I wrote on threads here - not their threads - who told me that they'd found some usefulness.
I'm also not on board with calling people "lazy" or dissing them as "wishful" just because they haven't reached the point of committing to personal change yet. I don't think that motivates anyone - OP or others - and may do more the reverse. It can even make the Community seem toxic to new readers, which would seriously be counterproductive. If it's a waste of time to post actual answers, isn't it a bigger waste of time to post criticism of the people who posted?
I don't think of other people as a hard dichotomy of wishers vs. doers . . . but if I did, I'd be pretty sure that some wishers become doers when they reach the point of readiness.** Maybe some are instant "doers", but I wasn't. It can take some exploration and wishfulness at first, before finding the right way to "do", and that's OK. Yeah, sometimes people get stuck. Also OK, because it's gotta be. Everyone here is on the path, just at different stages.
Just my opinions, obviously. I don't think people choosing to spend their time replying on threads are wasting their time, even if all that's happening is clarifying their own thoughts and solidifying their own resolve. Certainly posting here helps me keep my head in the game. YMMV.
** There's a thing called the "transtheoretical model" about how people change. It rings true for me. This is just a good overview graphic from a random site, not an endorsement of the whole site. The basic model is discussed in many places. OP seems to be at "contemplation". 😉🙂
Random source for this specific diagram: https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/eduweight/0/steps/256186
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You have gotten some great responses! Here is what has worked for me so far.
I began walking for 15 minutes per day 4 days weekly in the house. It seems like nothing but this helped me to build the habit of daily movement. I did make little changes like parking my car further away from the office or grocery store and using the stairs instead of the elevator. Before long I was walking for half an hour. Presently I make at least 10,000 steps daily.
For me motivation is not always there but it's discipline and commitment to self-improvement that causes me to move daily.
I hope this helps. Good luck on your journey!
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And how on earth can you tell that they are not using the advice and appreciating them? Just because they didn't return to the thread to report progress? Rotten and toxic attitude Dan, entirely based on assumptions and not evidence. And if you are gonna tell me its not, please show some proof that this person is what you claim they are? Because so far you've shown nothing.
@everyone else
Love all the great comments thanks for the ideas, motivation and positivity :)0 -
Don't do exercises you hate. Start with something not so bad. I hate walking, walking even a few yards causes pain for me. I don't like the dark or rain so going out rain or shine for a walk is something I will not be doing. Maybe you don't like to exercise in public or know what to wear. You can start in your room, wearing whatever you have on. Stretching is easy, touch your toes even if you can only touch your knees, do that 10 times a day. Then add sitting bending forward. You only need 3 minutes a day and soon you can stretch farther. Mom tried walking but felt silly walking in public so she walked in her yard with her cat. I like going to the gym as a social activity. I do aqua fit HIIT classes almost every day. No pain, meet lots of people, sit in hot tub after. Go to the weight room 3 days a week for 5 machines. I don't do much weight or many reps but I go. I wrote down how much weight I did so if I improve I will be happy. Today trying TRX for the first time. I will never go for a walk no matter how many people say it is a good idea.
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I just force myself to get up, do the dishes/laundry feed animals go outside water plants and that gets me off my butt to start with. I'll walk extra laps around the garden while I'm doing it or work in extra steps to normal things, I struggle with treadmills or walking in circles, I find I need to do something with a purpose so have built my morning routine around "jobs that need doing".
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Hey, OP. I have been recovering from a 2nd knee replacement and was recently diagnosed with a pretty serious blood clotting disorder. I need to get up and move every waking hour. So I started with a single set of body weight exercises, 5 reps. Things like wall push ups, arm circles, balance poses, etc. I'm up to 70 reps of most things and just found some good ab items to start that don't have me bending knees or waist (due to the clotting disorder, I try to make my movement break avoid bending). You can look up "modified squats," or "modified exercises for knees" or whatever, if you find something but it's still too difficult.
I try to move for 5 minutes each break, and of course often move longer b/c once I'm up, I remember stuff I need to do. But it's my summer break—I'm a teacher and senior enough I don't have to work a summer job anymore, so I could just sit a lot. Not anymore.
I walk for cardio right now, with a goal of getting back to running. But I need to build strength elsewhere and my core strength is pathetic :)
I am seeing results in my arms and shoulders already.
I hope this helps.
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Try the “just 10 minutes” strategy. I tell myself, just ride the bike for 10 minutes”…then I can either stop or keep going. I haven’t stopped at 10 minutes yet, once I get going I always want to ride longer. Try putting your sneakers on and walk for 10 minutes, you can increase the time when you are ready. Good luck, you can do it! 😎
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You got some really good replies! Here is my input- I started purposefully exercising a few years ago ( maybe 8-10?) by watching Fitness Blender on Youtube, thety have some Really good vids. I would pick a body area ( arma, abs, whatever) and do that video on a certain day. Other vids on other days. I had some weights, i bought some more, and i just kept going with it. I liked how it felt, i liked my results, (however puny they mioght be) so obviously i kept up with it. ( cuz i liked it lol) Another thing i did was hula hoopinmg - THAT is fun and really good- it actually helped heal my diastasis recti & childbirth hiatal hernia, which used to be an opening the size of an orange, it is now indetectable & insignificant!
Just start doing floor exercises at home. Youll progress! i have just joined a new gym ( first time ever!) and i am loving it. No one bugs me, even tho i am 50 something and handicapped, so, yes, i do get all the pitiful looks at first! i dont care! i just jump on a weight machine and crush it!!! :*
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For me, I start with almost trivial amounts of exercise to sort of practice. I was doing six minutes a day on my stationary bike to start. It's enough to get your accessories together and learn to manage water, clothes, hair and such. Then increase a little as you can. Now I'm up to twenty minutes, breaking a sweat, and have all my gear sorted. I'm ready to do HIIT with my little HIIT timer. Give yourself credit for baby steps, even just planning is a step forward. Go for it, you can do this!
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Hey, I totally get where you’re coming from. Starting out can feel overwhelming, especially when your energy’s low and everything feels like “too much.” I just started with short walks, around 10-15 minutes around the block. Then I added in a few basic moves at home. Nothing fancy, just stuff I didn’t hate doing. This article actually gave me some ideas . Super low-pressure and easy to follow. You don’t have to do them all at once. Just start somewhere. Even showing up here and asking is a step in the right direction. You got this!
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Definitely start off slowly. You can start with walking or if you have access to a pool, swimming is great aerobic exercise. Dancing is a great way to shed pounds and you can do it at a gym or in the privacy of your home.
I just signed up for BODI, it's a workout platform that has a ton of streaming workouts. There are 20 minute and 30 minute workouts, all the way to 60 minute workouts. They also have beginner workouts so you can ease into it and they teach you the movements . Also, if you have access, try just playing games like volleyball or basketball with friends. Don't worry about being perfect, just have fun. Exercise does release endorphins, which make you happy and put you in a good mood. Also, get in plenty of water during your day. Keep us posted, good luck!
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