Getting started with an exercise routine

Making the decision to start exercising is the first step to a healthier life and a healthier you. Yet, starting can be confusing.

Where should you begin? What should (and shouldn’t) you do? How can you stay consistent?

“Enlisting the help of a certified personal trainer can help answer these questions,” said Melanie Kirschten, personal trainer at Endeavor Health Fitness & Wellness Centers. “If hiring a trainer isn’t an option for you, there are ways to begin and stick with a workout routine.”

Your first step should be to check in with your primary care physician, who can ensure you are healthy enough for the exercise you want to do. Then:

1. Choose activities you enjoy. Sticking with your workouts can be easier if you incorporate activities that you enjoy. “If you hate running, try power walking instead. If staying on a cardio machine seems boring to you, take a cardio class instead,” Kirschten said. “If the weather permits and you enjoy getting your cardio outside instead of inside the gym, go for a bike ride, rollerblade, jog or go for a walk.”
2. Pick a time of day that works best for you. Exercising in the morning is a healthy way to start the day. If you aren’t a morning person or don’t have time before work, plan to exercise in the afternoon or evening, and bring your gym bag with you so you can head straight there after work. Once you get home, you may be less likely to go back out to the gym. Bottom line, scheduling a time of day to exercise sets you up for success.
3. Understand that setbacks can and will happen. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a workout. What matters is that you resume exercising as soon as possible. “If you didn’t get a chance to work out today, be sure to make time tomorrow,” Kirschten said. “The longer you stay away from the gym, the harder it will be to get back. Don’t let one day turn into two days, then three days and so on. Before you know it, one week can turn into one month.”
4. Choose to work out as a lifetime commitment. Many people decide to work out because they have a special occasion coming up, such as a reunion or a wedding. The event comes and goes, and the person stops exercising. Instead, make regular exercise a lifetime commitment. “Look at it as a way of life — something you do every day, like brushing your teeth,” Kirschten said. Remember how much your health benefits from staying physically active.

The decision to start exercising is the first step to a healthier life and a healthier you.