Exercising for the beginner, HELP ?

EverRomeo

Hi there,

So I have a cross trainer, a treadmill and a combo weights machine for legs and arms in my house, along with kettle bells, yoga mat, and exercise DVDs lol. I have had spurs in the past where I'd go on the cross trainer for a few days a week for a few weeks but with out seeing a difference I'd give up. I really want to give it a shot, I believe being able to see how many calories I've burned using MFP will keep me at it.

What is the best way to get started? A good little routine I could do within an hour? Is it best to do cardio for 10 then weights for 10 and repeat, or half an hour at each? With the weights, is the idea that you literally keep going until you can not do another rep? Just looking for a little bit of guidance on the subject.

Thanks in advance

alikonda

The best plan is whatever you will enjoy enough to keep doing - change doesn't happen overnight. Start by doing SOMETHING active 3-5 times a week. You can get more technical and specific about what that 'something' is later -- but first you need to build the habit. Follow DVDs, online videos, any number of plans available on the internet, or just get out and walk/run/bike/skate. Lots of cool ideas here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1342208-bored-with-workouts

I find that what works best for me is this:
1 - Have a plan
2 - Have someone keep me accountable
3 - Work out with other people

1 - Having a plan takes out a lot of the last-minute waffling that I'm prone to doing otherwise. Instead of wasting 30 minutes wondering if I should swim, elliptical, lift weights, etc, I already know what is coming - I can just change and DO IT.
Also, my plan always includes 1 or 2 days a week that I don't have to do ANY physical activity. Knowing that the rest day is coming up is often incentive enough for me to drag my butt out the door for my scheduled run or to muscle my way through the planned workout class/video. (And if I have to miss a workout, I call it my rest day and make up the workout later)

2 - I generally try to work out in the morning so that I have less time to make excuses, because I *know* I'm exhausted at the end of the day. But when I don't get my workout in first thing, I make sure that people around me know what I plan to do. ("I'm going for a run tonight." or "I'm doing yoga this evening") The next day, they might ask how it went, and I don't want to have to admit that I didn't do it!

3 - Having a workout buddy is the BEST. Classes are more fun when you know people there. You have someone else depending on you to show up for workouts when you say you will. Chatting while running is WAY more fun than thinking about how hard you're breathing or how tired your legs are!

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

ETA: Check out this group - lots of solid information http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

EverRomeo

Thanks so much! Lots of helpful tips there.