Achieving and maintaining a healthy exercise routine is difficult, especially after living a sedentary lifestyle. But it’s not impossible. Take a slow approach to exercise and you will have a much better chance of creating a lasting workout routine.
Here are some tips on how to get back in shape after being inactive.
Take it Slow
When you’re just starting out, it’s important to take things slowly. You don’t want to overdo it and end up hurting yourself. Start by walking for 10-20 minutes each morning.
It sounds counterintuitive to only walk every day to get back in shape, but hear me out. When you have been inactive for months, you have many muscles throughout your body that go unused. And when you become active again, those muscles get shocked and are not ready for any kind of exercise.
Walking is a great cardiovascular exercise. It reduces stress and loosens up all those dormant muscles.
Level Up Your Exercise
Once you have been walking for a month, gradually increase your workload. Layer in a couple of days of jogging to your routine. This will raise your stamina faster. Stick with this routine of walking 3 days and jogging 2 days out of the week.
Once you have done that for another month, switch to 2 days walking and 3 days jogging. Keep repeating this process as your fitness routine progresses.
Hit the Weights
Once you have your walking/jogging habit locked in, layer weightlifting into your regime.
Weightlifting is an important part of any fitness routine. But it’s not just about losing weight.
Lifting weights can also help to reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. It can also help to improve your mood and increase your energy levels.
If you’re just starting out, I recommend lifting light weights for a higher number of reps. As you progress, you can gradually increase the weight you’re lifting.
Just make sure to always use the proper form to avoid injury.
Conclusion
Take your time and be patient. You’ll see results if you stick with it. And don’t forget to reward yourself for your hard work!
If you need help getting started with lifting weights but don’t know where to start, give us a call at (571) 371-8325. We’ll let you know what kind of training programs we offer.