Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: How to Set Clear Goals
• Method 2 of 4: How to Choose a Training Program
• Method 3 of 4: Competent Exercise Regime
• Method 4 of 4: New habits
• Tips

While almost everyone would love to exercise or go to the gym, not everyone is motivated to do it regularly. It can be difficult to establish a routine and stick to it. However, there are a few tricks that can help you not give up. Set simple, achievable goals and go for them. In order not to get upset because of the lack of quick results, go in for sports 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: How to Set Clear Goals

1. 1 Talk to your doctor prior to exercising. If you have not been involved in sports before, first you will need to find out what exercises and what type of loads are contraindicated for you. This is especially important if you have a chronic illness or disability. In this case, you should consult your doctor.
   • If you are a man over 45 or a woman over 55, do not start exercising without talking to your doctor.
   • Your doctor may recommend specific exercises that are safe for you.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Michele dolan

   
   
   Certified Fitness Trainer Michelle Dolan is a British Columbia-based personal trainer certified by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Has been working as a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

   Michele dolan
   Certified Fitness Trainer

   Michelle Dolan, Certified Personal Trainer, recommends: “For a start, it will be good to practice twice a week for 20 minutes. Gradually increase this number up to 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes to reach the required 150 minutes per week. "

2. 2 Set a goal and a deadline for yourself. Everyone has different goals and deadlines. Perhaps you want to build muscle, lose weight, or just start moving more. A clear goal will motivate you to keep playing sports, even if you feel like quitting. The goal should be specific: run a half marathon in 6 months, learn to do 30 push-ups per minute in 3 weeks.
   • Think about what you want to develop in. Perhaps you are not measuring the target in terms of the pounds you dropped (for example, you want to run 5 kilometers), and this is normal.
   • Many people exercise to lose weight. Maybe you want your waist to decrease by 4 centimeters by the summer? Or weight - 15 kilograms in 6 months? Maybe you want to lose 5% fat in a year?
   • Set goals for yourself that will not threaten your health.Don't try to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. If you are unsure if exercise or the chosen program will be safe for your health, ask your doctor.
3. 3 Make sport a priority. You will probably have no difficulty finding other activities and giving up sports. Prioritize your workouts to prevent this from happening. If your workout is the main event of the day, you won't put it off as an unimportant affair.
   • For example, set your alarm an hour earlier and go to the gym before work in the morning. Or tell a friend that you can't have dinner with him because you have a workout after work.
   • But do not get hung up on training and do not refuse to communicate with people because of sports. If you want to stay motivated, integrate exercise into your daily routine.

Method 2 of 4: How to Choose a Training Program

1. 1 Sign up for a gym if you need a combination of strength and cardiovascular exercise. The most important plus of gyms is their convenience: they have cardiovascular equipment, strength equipment, free weights. If you need to lower your heart rate, lose weight, or build muscle, start at the gym.
   • Don't worry about other people in the room. Most are ready to support each other, but many do not really care what is happening around.
   • Find out the cost of the subscription. If you can't afford it, look for cheaper lounges. Cheaper gyms have fewer exercise machines, but the price is much lower.
2. 2 If you are looking for a low-intensity exercise, try yoga. Yoga is a great addition to cardiovascular exercise and helps you relax. Consider yoga if you are looking for a relaxing activity that improves stretching and strengthens your muscles.
   • Watch workout recordings on YouTube. You can also sign up for yoga at the gym.
3. 3 Sign up for group sessions to motivate yourself even more. You will enjoy practicing with people who do what you do. You will be motivated to keep up with the group and be able to meet new people. Group sessions are also a great way to figure out which exercises you like best and what you would like to do.
   • Many gyms have classes for all skill levels. If you are just starting out, sign up for a beginner group (for example, spinning or yoga for beginners).
4. 4 Work with a personal trainer if you want to work with you separately. The coach will introduce you to the gym, show you how the simulators work, and answer all training-related questions. If you do not plan to work with a trainer all the time, take 2-3 sessions. This will allow you to learn more about the different exercises and find the ones that you like.
   • In some fitness clubs, the first induction session with a trainer is free of charge.
   • One-to-one tuition can be expensive. If the price is high for you, find out if the gym has split training or group sessions with a coach.
   • You can also work with a personal trainer at home, but it costs even more.
5. 5 Study at home if you don't have enough time or money. If you can't afford a gym, do it yourself at home. You can buy small dumbbells and do exercises in bed. You can simply carry a heavy object with you throughout the day.
   • Dumbbells and weights are sold at sporting goods stores. If you prefer cardio, buy a rope and jump 15-20 minutes daily.
6. 6 Start with simple strength exercises. It is impossible to immediately start lifting 40 kilograms of dumbbells or pressing 100 kilograms from the chest. Start with simple exercises that will help you build muscle. Do 4-8 exercises for different muscle groups. Do not take on a lot of weight right away - it is better to work with light weight, but correctly. Do the following exercises:
   • Squats, lunges, deadlifts, platform climbs - for the lower half of the body.
   • Push-ups, pull-ups, rowing exercises, free weights - for the upper body.
   • Planks and torso raises - for core muscles.
   • If your muscles are sore, learn how to avoid soreness.
7. 7 Use a fitness tracker. If you have a smartphone or tablet, download and install 1-2 progress tracking apps. The app will motivate you to exercise regularly. You can count calories, steps, sleep hours and other health and sports related parameters. The following applications will work:
   • MyFitnessPal. This program allows you to count calories and steps.
   • Sworkit. This app contains exercise videos that can be collected into 200 different workouts.
   • MapMyRun (in English, but intuitive) gives you the ability to create jogging routes to your area based on your desired distance and duration.
8. 8 Play sports with a friend. If you practice alone, you can get tired of training very quickly. To prevent this from happening, find a friend who also wants to start playing sports. Suggest going to workouts or jogging together in the morning. Playing sports with someone will make it easier for you to motivate yourself and stick to your exercise regimen.
   • If your friend is already in sports, ask if you can join him.

Method 3 of 4: Competent Exercise Regime

1. 1 Choose days and times to exercise. This will allow you to make the sport a habit. To always keep up with your workouts, you need to make them your priority. Set aside time for sports several times a week. For example, run for an hour every day at seven in the morning, or go to the gym on Mondays from 6 to 8.
   • At first, it will be difficult to accustom yourself to the regime. But if you do it haphazardly, sports will not become a habit with you.
2. 2 Start with simple exercises. Try the more general exercises first. When you understand what exactly you like, you can adjust the program. Do both strength and cardio exercises first.
   • Try cardio. Start by running or walking on a street or treadmill. Practice 20 minutes 3-5 times a week.
   • Try strength training (lifting weights or exercising). Exercise all muscle groups (chest and arms, legs, core muscles) at least twice a week.
3. 3 Create a workout playlist. You will be more motivated to exercise if you have energetic music with you, and it will be easier to work out until the end of your workout. Music during class will distract you from muscle soreness and make you work.
   • If you don't have time to compose a playlist, get a ready-made one on a streaming service (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer).
4. 4 Try to move more throughout the day. Sport is not only one-hour training in the gym. There are many other short workouts that are suitable for the office or home. You can do the exercises in the office or at your desk and even give yourself a cardio load without going outside.
   • For example, if you work in an office building, take a walk for 20 minutes at lunchtime or run stairs for 15 minutes to get your heart racing.
   • Take a 10-minute break every two hours and do 30 push-ups and 30 body lifts.
5. 5 Don't let yourself get too tired at the very beginning of your workouts. If you are just starting out in sports, it is extremely important for you to be able to listen to yourself. If you feel that you find it difficult to breathe or your legs are weak and shaking, stop running. If your hands are shaking and you are afraid of dropping the dumbbells on yourself, stop the workout.
   • If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or nausea, take a break. You may be overloading yourself.
6. 6 Give your body a chance to recover from every workout. Exercise at least every other day. You may be able to exercise the next day, but it will be harmful in the long run. Do not load the same muscle group for two days in a row - the muscles will not stand it.
   • It is important to give your muscles time to recover (at least 24-48 hours). If your muscles still hurt after a day of rest, skip another day just in case.

Method 4 of 4: New habits

1. 1 Set goals that suit your new fitness level. As you get stronger, rethink your goals. If you have already lost the weight you wanted, you can decide to lose weight further or focus on the relief. If you wanted to learn how to bench press 100 pounds, set a new goal of 125 pounds.
   • The goals may not be limited to the hall. You may have hiked the same easy route, but now it's time to take a more difficult route.
   • You can increase the duration of your workout. Walk not 20 minutes twice a week, but 30 minutes 4 times a week.
   • If you like the way your body looks and you are comfortable with the muscle mass gain, set a goal to maintain your current shape.
2. 2 Try different types of exercise and exercise. You may already be walking, cycling, and using a rowing machine. If you like variety, don't limit yourself. Go on a weekend hike with your family, or spend an evening dancing.
   • As you try new things, you will surely find something that you enjoy. When this happens, remember this moment. Did you enjoy swing dancing? Excellent! This means that you will be moving for at least one more hour a week.
   • If you've been jogging 5 kilometers five times a week on a treadmill, go outside. Find a new route, try running at night, or run 7 kilometers. If this is not enough, connect another type of load. Do you like yoga? Add Pilates. Ever wanted to try kickboxing? It's time to sign up for a workout.
3. 3 Start practicing more often. Over time, you will find that it becomes too easy for you. You may decide not to do anything about it, but it's better to force yourself to work harder. For example, at first you can do it twice a week, and after six months add another workout. Then after a month you can start practicing four times a week, and even later - five times.
   • Load types can be alternated. For example, go to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday, and run on Monday and Wednesday.

Tips

• If you want to lose weight, know that 1 kilogram is 3500 calories. You will need to create a 500 calorie deficit per day by cutting your daily calorie intake and exercising (if your diet is balanced) to lose 1 pound per week. To lose 1 pound in 2 weeks, you can eat a 500 calorie deficit every other day.
• Don't force yourself to do exercises that you hate. The gym isn't your only option. If you enjoy swimming, dancing, or hiking, do it! All this is also a burden.
• Exercising with friends will make it easier to stay motivated, in control, and move towards your goals.