Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Taking the first steps
• Part 2 of 3: Finding the right activity
• Part 3 of 3: Hold on
• Warnings
• Necessities

There are all kinds of fun ways to be active. The difference between seeing exercise as a nuisance or having fun with your friends is in choosing an active lifestyle that suits you. By setting yourself reasonable goals, taking the first important steps, and finding something you really enjoy, you'll be on the go before you know it. Continue to Step 1 for more information.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Taking the first steps

1. Start walking. Getting more active doesn't mean running a half marathon or lifting the heaviest weights at the gym right away. Don't be intimidated by those complicated equipment and the terms associated with all kinds of weight loss regimes, or tricked into expensive gym memberships. All you need to do is move at your own pace and learn how to be more active.
   • Start with walking in your neighborhood for 15 to 20 minutes every day, a lap of 1 to 3 kilometers. Walk at a nice pace, but fast enough that you will start to sweat a little by the time you get back home. Make it feel good. By walking regularly you get in shape for more intensive exercise.
   • Try walking to work or school more often. Alternate the route so that it remains fun.
   • If you find the walk boring, listen to music or an audiobook, or call a friend while you walk. Stay busy and active.
2. Stand up at work. Recent research has shown that sitting for too long has a negative effect on our health and life expectancy. If you mainly do sedentary work, consider getting a desk that you have to stand behind, or just stand up as much as possible if you have a normal desk. If you don't necessarily have to sit, stand up and use your legs. You will notice that you get more energy and feel a lot better and less tired at the end of the day.
   • There are also desks with a treadmill. If you have an old treadmill in the shed or attic, dust it off and try to make a desk that can stand over it, so you can work while walking slowly.
3. Do some light stretching. You don't have to leave your home to get active. You don't even have to turn off the TV! Choose a series of stretches that work well for you, allowing you to loosen and stretch your muscles. When combined with walking, light stretches, sit-ups, and push-ups are a great way to get in shape for heavier activity if you plan on doing that later.
   • Start with short sets of 20 sit-ups and 5 push-ups, or whatever you can handle. Do a set, take a rest and stretch your muscles. When you're ready, do another set with as many reps as you can.
   • By stretching you not only loosen and warm your muscles, but you also prevent muscle pain. If you play volleyball for the first time after years of inactivity, you will have a lot of muscle pain the next day, so you may not feel like it next time. By stretching you reduce the risk of muscle pain.
4. Start by being active for 20 minutes a day. Don't overdo it at first. A good way to start slowly is to do a new activity for no longer than 20 minutes. Overloading your muscles is of no use to you, but you do need to be active long enough to get your heart rate up to reap the benefits of your new active lifestyle.
5. Try to be active for 20 minutes every day. Choose a time that suits you best, or think about when you are normally not active at all, such as when you watch TV, and replace it with light activity.
   • One of the most common excuses that keep people inactive is that they don't have time. But you often spend a few hours watching TV or surfing the Internet every night, so using 20 minutes of that to get active still gives you plenty of time to relax.

Part 2 of 3: Finding the right activity

1. Join a sports club. If you like games, put that X-Box down and do some real sport outside. You don't have to be very good to get active with friends in the park, or to go to an amateur club in the area to get moving in a slightly competitive atmosphere.
   • If you enjoy traditional team sports, consider:
     • football
     • hockey
     • basketball
     • softball
     • tennis
   • If you're not much of a fan of traditional sports, but like a bit of competition, consider:
     • ultimate frisbee or disc golf
     • kickball
     • beach soccer
     • Parkour
     • paintball
2. Enter the forest and enjoy a long walk. If you're not into competitive sports, but more into nature sounds, then go for a walk. Reverie in silence and cover as many miles as possible. Find out where you can take walks in the area or check the websites of Natuurmonumenten and Staatsbosbeheer in which national parks have beautiful routes. It is one of the cheapest and most rewarding ways to be active and enjoy nature at the same time.
3. Consider signing up for classes. If you find it difficult to be disciplined, or if you just prefer to be active under the guidance of an instructor, take classes so that you can exercise regularly in a structured environment. It can be motivating to be on the move with more people at the same time, and you learn that it doesn't matter what you look like. After all, they're just a bunch of strangers. The differences between the lessons are subtle and not that complicated:
   • Aerobic is a cardio workout that requires a lot of energy
   • Zumba is a dance sport that is fun and energetic
   • Yoga is an ancient form of movement consisting of a series of complicated postures and stretches that give you strength and flexibility
   • Pilates is a combination of core strengthening exercises and dynamic yoga
   • When you join the gym, you can also immediately use the fitness room with weights and equipment, and sometimes a swimming pool. That can be a lot of fun!
4. Build walking into jogging. If you enjoy your daily walks, consider buying a good pair of shoes and switching to a jog. Start slowly and build up slowly, and figure out a good route to run. The more you run, the more you'll enjoy it, and you may want to start training for the 5K or a mini marathon once you're hooked.
5. Hop on your bike. Use a sports bike suitable for cycle paths, or consider getting a mountain bike if you prefer to ride in the woods.
6. Have a good dance. Who ever said exercise is boring? Go to the club on a Friday night and burn calories while dancing to your favorite music, or just turn on your own stereo and dance in your sweatpants. Nobody is watching.

Part 3 of 3: Hold on

1. Find someone to get active together. Even if you just try to walk a bit every day, having someone join you can make a huge difference. If you don't feel like it, it is much harder just not to go when you have a date with someone. Set a set time that's convenient for both of you, and make it an unwritten rule that you always go. Make it difficult to cancel.
2. Try to be active every day. If you make it a routine, it will be easier to integrate it into your life. If you have free time in the morning, you can get up early and start exercising. If you are usually lazy in the afternoon, get active. Start with 20 minutes and expand when you're ready.
3. Overcome the hurdle of the first three days. Sometimes when you just start moving, you will experience muscle pain, even if you have stretched well and taken it easy. The next day it can then be difficult to get active. Push on. The muscle pain can last for three days if your muscles have to get used to the new activity. That does not mean that you will never have muscle pain afterwards, but hang on and go through those first three days.
4. Create a reward system. Rewarding yourself for becoming more active will help you stick to it. Give yourself something to look forward to. If you are going to enjoy your new active lifestyle, why not treat yourself to some new sportswear? Get those new hiking boots you've been eyeing for a while, or go out for dinner at that fancy restaurant at the end of the week and eat something healthy. Make it fun for yourself.

Warnings

• If you change your habits too quickly, it may be too much, so take it gradually.

Necessities

• Sportswear and shoes
• Toiletries such as deodorant, shower gel, etc.
• Pedometer (optional)