One of the things I often hear from new clients is, “I know I need to get fitter, but where do I start?”
If you haven’t exercised for years, the thought of joining a gym, running 5K or lifting weights can be pretty daunting. You might not know what exercises to do, how often to exercise, how hard you should be working or even what is safe to do.
So, if you are thinking of starting from scratch, what would I suggest?
Start with walking. Walking is a great way to start, you don’t need any special equipment or need to go anywhere special. For the first couple of weeks, aim to walk for 20 to 30 minutes, three or four times a week. It doesn’t need to be fast. The aim is simply to get used to being active again.
Once that feels comfortable, then add some strength training. This doesn’t involve going to a gym or buying weights. As my clients know, you can push yourself quite hard with the right bodyweight exercises. Start with doing something twice a week. Spend 10 to 20 minutes doing some basic exercises. Sit-to-stands from a chair, squats, press-ups against a wall or worktop, step-ups and carrying something heavy are all good places to start. This might not sound like much but gives your muscles a reason to get stronger.
After this, you could start adding some more challenging cardiovascular exercise. Perhaps walk a little faster, include some hills or introduce short periods of jogging if running is something you’d like to do. At this stage starting the couch to 5k program might appeal.
A word of caution at this stage; progress gradually. You don’t need to go from doing nothing to exercising every day. Doing too much too soon is one of the easiest ways to end up sore, exhausted or injured and then you might well give up. Consistency is the main thing to focus on.
Your week might eventually look something like this:
- Monday: 30-minute walk
- Tuesday: 20-minute strength session
- Wednesday: 30-minute walk
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: 20-minute strength session
- Saturday: Longer walk or another activity you enjoy
- Sunday: Rest or an easy walk
This isn’t complicated but it is achievable if you’ve built up to it.
You can then progress from here. Walk further, lift a little more, exercise for a little longer or try something new. Exercise is often better if done with friends. So you could walk, cycle, swim or even dance with your friends. Or find new friends through organised activities.
If you’re starting from scratch, don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Your first goal isn’t to become fit. It’s to become someone who exercises regularly.
Once you’ve achieved that, getting fitter becomes much easier.