Workout 101: A Rookie’s Guide to Starting Workout

Starting a new project can be quite exciting. Perhaps, one of your New Year goals is to become fit, and this time you are determined to take it seriously. Maybe you have already bought your fitness gear or enrolled in a gym. You may have also employed a fitness instructor or joined a yoga class. Now, you think you are ready to go. Not so fast. There are some things you should know before you start working out.

Why Are You Working Out?

You must know the reason for which you have chosen to embark on a fitness journey. This knowledge will keep you focused and committed when your workout routine becomes tiring. There will be days you would feel unmotivated. There would also be days where progress seems slow or non-existent even. However, if you have a solid reason for starting in the first place, it will keep you going.

There are several reasons for which people decide to start working out. Some of them include:

To reduce body fat: Exercising often helps a person to burn calories. It also helps to maintain your body’s healthy weight.
To build muscle mass: Many people decide to start working out to build their muscle mass. Although muscle growth is influenced by genetics, exercise can be used to achieve the desired muscle mass.
To lower the risk of diseases: Working out regularly reduces a person’s chance of developing certain diseases like arthritis, obesity, and diabetes. It also helps to lower a person’s blood pressure.
To become more confident: Working out enhances a person’s well-being and boosts the body-image. Thus, all these benefits help to boost a person’s self-esteem.

Mistakes to Avoid When You Want to Start Working Out

Being fit is a great goal with so many benefits. However, we have discovered that often times, people do not adopt the right approach towards achieving this goal. To give you a great start, we have compiled five common mistakes that people make as they begin their fitness journey.

Setting Unrealistic Goals: Your goals must be specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound.
Pushing too hard: It is essential to know when you are pushing your body too hard. Learn to listen to your body. When you begin to feel dizzy or intense pain or muscle cramps, perhaps it is a good time to stop working out.
Expecting progress overnight: Exercising requires patience and consistency, as it takes time to see progress. So stay at it and do not give up.
Creating a monotonous routine: Simple things like changing your jogging route or trying a new activity can help in spicing up your exercise schedule.
Failing to rest properly: It is advisable to take some days off to rest. You could also alternate between mild and intense exercises regularly.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a well-rounded exercise routine must comprise the following components:

Aerobic Training: This involves all exercises that increase your heart rate and breathing speed over some time. This kind of activities helps to build a stronger and healthier cardiovascular system. They also help you develop endurance and are excellent for weight-loss.

Balance Exercises: As the name implies, this kind of exercise helps a person to maintain balance. They are useful for seniors whose balance seem to deteriorate with age. However, anybody can benefit from balance exercises as they help to stabilize the core muscles. An example of a balance exercise is Tai Chi.

Strength Training: They help to build your muscles and keep your bones healthy. They also help in weight loss or management. Strength training is not limited to only lifting weights. They also include exercises like yoga, pull-ups, push-ups, biking, leg squats, rowing, and planks.

Flexibility Training: This involves exercises that help the body remain flexible, such that joints and muscles can bend and stretch easily. They help to relieve tension and stress and even maintain good posture. Activities like yoga, ballet, karate, and gymnastics are excellent for flexibility training.

Core Exercises: These are exercises that help to develop your core muscles. Your core muscles are the muscles that help to protect your back. They also help to connect the upper and lower movements of your body. They are the muscles found in your pelvis, abdomen and lower back. Examples of core exercises include bridges, sit-ups, and planks.

Plan Your Routine and Get Started!

There are many exercises and different types of workout routines. You may need to consult a professional or fitness coach in creating the most effective workout routine. It is essential that you stay committed and consistent with your schedule to yield maximum results.

Workout 101: A Rookie’s Guide to Starting Workout