Easing Into Exercise: How to Stick With it and Reach Your Fitness Goals

Learning how to work physical activity into your already busy day can be overwhelming. Whether you are interested in losing weight or just building muscle tone, the hardest part of any exercise routine is to get off the couch.

Start Small and Build From There

You might think that a few minutes of exercise per day won’t make a difference, but it will. The more you move, the more it becomes a habit rather than a chore. You may find that extra few minutes you need per day magically appears as you begin to enjoy exercising more.

It only takes about 30 minutes per session to get a good workout. If you only have a few days per week to workout, that’s okay. It’s not necessary, and often not recommended, that you work out daily because your muscles need time to recuperate between sessions.

With that in mind, it is important to start small and build from there when you first start working out. It’s not a good idea to jump right into a rigorous exercise routine if you haven’t worked out in a long time. You also shouldn’t spend a lot of money on exercise equipment, DVDs and a gym membership when you’re first starting out.

Begin with 15 minutes of walking per day three days a week. Each week, add five minutes of walking to your routine until you have reached 30 minutes per session. A gradual progression allows your body to adapt and keeps it challenged as you go along.

Make a Conscious Effort to Move More

Once you have committed to walking for exercise, it’s a good idea to try to work in a little bit of extra movement wherever you can throughout the day. Parking further away from the grocery store is a common tip experts give to those that want to lose weight. That spot right in the front of the store is tempting, but all of those extra steps add up.

Use Exercise as an Excuse to Have Fun

If you find that you are bored with working out alone, try to make it a social occasion for yourself and friends. Instead of walking around the block, take a hike in the woods with friends. The change of scenery is enough to keep things interesting. You also get a chance to involve the people you love in your new lifestyle change.

Stay Motivated and Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Finally, don’t feel bad about yourself if you miss a day of exercise. It’s easy to get upset and give up. One day is not that important in the grand scheme of things, but making sure you stay moving is.

A missed day can easily turn into an entire month if you are discouraged and focus on your failures. The world won’t come crashing down if you miss a workout. Just pick up where you left off tomorrow and keep moving!