The idea of exercising does not have to be an ‘all or nothing’ plan. You do not have to work out for hours in the gym or force your body to carry out strenuous activities that might enable it to sweat a lot or make your body feel tired. Adding a little physical activity on daily basis can have an outstanding effect on the emotional as well as physical health of an individual. Whatever might be the level of activity involved in your daily routine, you can always make exercise a fun way to cope with daily stress levels. By doing so and having a continuous movement in the daily routine, your life may become more enjoyable. In this article, we have put together 4 effective ways for you to begin exercising and invite a good amount of activity and health into your life, but before that lets take a look into amount of time that one should ideally spend exercising and the types of exercises that one can perform.
How Much Time a Day Do I have to Spend on Exercising?
Exercising at least five times in a week and for a period of thirty minutes every single day can help in stabilizing the mental as well as physical health. If you cannot take away thirty continuous minutes from your daily schedule, make sure to design two short 15 minute workout or three 10 minute workout plan, whichever is feasible.
Do not be upset if taking even a little time out of the daily schedule seems difficult for you. Even a little physical activity that tends to relax your mind as well as a body can be worth considering. It takes a week or more for the body to adapt to small changes and when you commit to these changes, it may be easier for you to develop a routine. If you keep all these activities handy, the benefits that you will observe may be outstanding.
What Are The Different Types of Exercises I Can Perform?
Compiling a variety of exercises can help you in getting the maximum health benefits. Also, you will not be struck with boredom and enjoy every routine that you have planned on doing.
- Aerobic activities such as swimming, running and cycling can improve your cardiac health as well as boost your stamina.
- Strength training, such as resistance training or weight lifting can help in building the bone and the muscle mass which thereby prevents falls and improves balance. It aids in rendering strength to the body at the older age.
- Stretching and yoga can help in enhancing the range of motion and alleviate muscle pains as well as stiffness.
#1: Walking-The Best Way To Begin Exercising
Walking or Moving more in your day to day life is one of the most effective ways to begin exercising. If you are not yet ready to follow a routine exercise plan, think about all these routines as a choice rather than a task that you have to handle from your to do list. Keep a track of your daily activities and make a point to add some activities. Even small activities can be included in the daily routine and they will add up at the end of the day.
- Walking in and around your house. Car washing, handling the cleanliness at home, lawn mowing, sweeping or brooming the patio can also work as a physical activity.
- Walking at work and on the go. Look for ways to walk or ride a bicycle while heading home from work. You can also follow this routine while shopping for groceries or doing any other chores that allows you to step out of the house.
- Walking With family or friends. Organize games or engage with your kids in any game in the yard. You can also take your dog for a walk or practice a yoga routine with your spouse in your free time.
#2: Planning a Proper Routine Helps You Kick Start Your Exercise Regimen
Start slowly, a little is better than nothing. Beginning exercising does not ask you to stay committed or make your physical activity extreme. If you have not been a part of any exercise routine or have not made a plan in the early days, it is important for you to set better goals this time. Hitting the gym for working out for an hour or so may be difficult in the initial stages. Instead, you can plan some small routines and eventually take it to a higher level. Once these routines are managed, you will see benefits that may encourage you to stay with the plan. Tips for beginning with the exercise plan:
- Focus on activities you love doing. If you do not love jogging, it may difficult for you to stay on track with the plan that you have made. Instead, you can create a swimming or dancing plan if you love doing the activity.
- Take small steps at a time. Begin your day with an activity that makes you feel comfortable and set realistic expectations. Participating in a marathon run may prove to be strenuous; instead you can try doing something that is less daunting.
- Focus on achieving short-term goals like improving your energy and mood levels as well as reducing the level of stress. If you concentrate on bigger tasks like weight loss and muscle toning, it may prove to be quite time consuming and after some time you may lose interest.
- Make exercise a main concern. If you have issues in including exercises to your daily plan, be sure to consider it as your agenda that has to be completed daily. Even on the busiest days, make sure to consider taking out at least 10 minutes from your daily routine. This may help you in sticking with the daily physical activity routine without any hassles.
- Take your time and go easy on yourself. Do you feel bad about your body weight or physique? There are others who might be in the same shoes as yours. Join a group and make plans with them. This may help you in accomplishing the goals that you have set and make better plans for your exercise ahead.
- Anticipate ups and downs. Never be disappointed if you miss out on a routine or two. It happens. Just start over and you will eventually get there. You can eventually over a period of time, build your schedule and surely follow it wisely. This will help you in coming back to the previous momentum that you had for exercising.
#3: Opt For Convenient and Enjoyable Activities That Make Exercise a Fun Thing To Begin
Making exercise fun is the easiest way to begin exercising. Convenient and enjoyable activities make exercise a fun thing. Spend some time in knowing your likes as well as dislikes. Preferences change with time and you should remember this at all times.
Combine an activity that you love doing with your daily exercise routine. There is a host of activities that can be qualified as exercise routines. The idea is to find something that will keep your body on fire and active at all times. When this is done, it will be easier for you to follow the plan and make exercise a fun thing to do. Following simple things can be merged easily:
- Take yoga or a dance class like zumba
- Watch a favorite sitcom while working out on a treadmill or stationary cycle.
- Enjoy a movie or a cup of coffee with friends, post workout.
- Enjoy activities like golfing, playing Frisbee, or gardening.
- Put on your favorite music and have a blast with the kids while dancing to its tune.
Begin to make exercise an activity that can be performed socially. It can be a time for you to socialize with your friends and can keep you motivated as well. For those who are not in the competitive spirit, water aerobics, dance class or running club may be of great help. This may help you in exercising while eliminating the sense of competition at all times. You may join a soccer league for the adults or play baseball or volleyball with your buddies. For most people, having a partner for working out may keep them motivated.
#4: Motivation-The Key To Begin Exercising
Stay motivated is the key in the beginning stages of exercising. Even if you love exercising, you may lose interest in following it on a regular basis. When you feel that the routine is monotonous, add an interesting activity to spruce it up. This may help you in achieving goals that you have been working for so long.
How Can I Stay Motivated When My Body Is In Pain?
Set yourself goals and rewards. After reaching a specific goal, you can reward yourself. This will help you in staying motivated and achieve your goals easily as well. It does not matter what you do and how much you do. When you lose interest, try to think about the efforts you have made and begin again. When you achieve goals, reward yourself easily.
Ways to Begin Exercising and Keeping Your Exercise Routine on the Go:
- Be reliable and consistent. Be habituated with the exercise plan and make sure you follow the same routine every single day. This will make you feel worse when the routine is not followed.
- You need to ensure that you exercise in a specific pre-determined time period daily.
- This will get rid of the sluggish mindset and your body will want you to exercise.
- You need to keep an actual record of your progress. This can be in the form of an actual journal or a video journal.
- Make each exercise session interesting. This can be done by working out with friends and family, incorporating music and using different places to exercise.