Exercise for beginners – how to keep at it
Want to get fit, but struggling to find the motivation? Read on for four suggestions to help you keep at it if you’re a beginner.
The benefits of exercise are near-universally understood at this point, as school teachings and public health messaging alike illustrate the various ways in which keeping on top of exercise can improve our physical health.
For the absolute beginner to exercise, the dedication required can be understandably intimidating, and the habit is hard to keep. How do you motivate yourself as someone new to exercise? Here are four suggestions.
1) Define your goals
Exercise for the sake of exercise is an endeavour doomed to failure. If you do not have any specific goals with regard to your exercise, you have nothing to work towards – and no way of measuring your progress.
By pre-defining some simple and clear goals, you can give yourself the opportunity to build a real framework, including specifically targeted exercises and a clear end goal. Whether you want to drop a clothes size or achieve a pull-up, knowing will give you the strength to carry on.
2) Form habits
The next part of the process is to start forming healthy habits early. You’ll find it difficult to set off for a run if you haven’t planned on one, but a robust weekly plan with regular scheduled exercise will see you finding it much easier to get going.
These habits should extend to your wider schedule and diet, as well. Sleep is a key part of the equation, and failing to keep to a regular sleeping schedule can negatively impact your motivation. Likewise, your food intake might be working against you – especially if you are eating bulky, fibrous meals that tend to bloat you out.
3) Find your motivational music
Music is a fantastic motivator. Whether listening to heavy beats to set the pace for decorating, or ambient music to pad out your working day, music is already an essential part of our day-to-day routines. Music can be used to similar – and devastating – effect with regard to exercise.
The right jams can pump you up and get you ready to work. A well-curated playlist supplied through wireless Bluetooth headphones can keep you in the headspace for your workout whether running or doing sets at the gym. The best headphones for the gym can make workout time feel like a personal concert.
4) Tell yourself “just five minutes”
Lastly, here is a small tip that could revolutionise your approach to exercise. Motivation sometimes just doesn’t happen, no matter how hard you plan or how much you prepare. Some days, you just won’t want to leave the house. On those days, give yourself a simple promise: just five minutes.
Leave the house for five minutes, even if just to walk around the block, then you can go home. Nine times out of ten, you won’t go home. That first push is all you need – and can be indispensable to keeping at it.
