How to start exercising?

Do you want to exercise and get in shape, but lack the motivation to start exercising? Maybe you want to lose weight or build muscle but can't bring yourself to exercise. You are not alone. Workout motivation is a common problem for many people, but it shouldn't be your problem. We will tell you how to start exercising.

How to motivate yourself to workout?

There are many strategies you can use to make working out a regular part of your week. Ideally, you should reduce the number of obstacles as much as possible in order to train. The more obstacles come from your daily routine, the more excuses you will come up with to skip your workout. A few of the most effective approaches include simplicity, accountability, enjoyment, attainability, and investment.

You may find that one or the other of these strategies is enough to start exercising and form a habit, but you can use more than one strategy. Check them all out and see which ones work best for you.

Start simple

Too often people want to exercise but don't know where or where to start. That is why we recommend starting simple. Overly complex workouts that require sophisticated equipment (and financial investment) or are too physically demanding are the main obstacles that leave little chance for an effective training process.

Instead, focus on workouts that you can do on your own without a gym membership. Walks, hikes, bodyweight workouts, even yoga are good places to start and require nothing more than a pair of proper shoes. In fact, you can do bodyweight workouts and yoga barefoot. No equipment, no excuses.

Pull-ups, planks, push-ups, squats, lunges, and jumps are just a few bodyweight exercises you can do at home and outside. In addition, you can find fitness programs and yoga exercises on YouTube. Put on your running shoes and go for a run.

Be simple.

Set realistic goals

Many people want to start exercising because their goal is to lose weight or build muscle. And while these are great goals, there are a few problems.

Losing weight and building muscle are performance goals, which means they focus on a specific end result. As a rule, these are long-term goals that are not completely under your control. On the path of body transformation, many people often break down or fluctuate in weight, which can be a monstrous blow to motivation. At the same time, the weight you are aiming for may not be realistic or harmful to your health.

In addition, the weight mark often taken from the ceiling does not take into account the training process. Without an action plan that includes short-term goals, many people stumble.

How do you plan to lose weight or build muscle? This is where performance-focused goals come into play.

Activity goals are aimed at developing skills. They move away from your aesthetic goal (weight loss or muscle gain) and lean towards immediate actionable goals, such as consistent workouts 4 times a week, more squats per set, run farther and faster. These goals set the meaning of each workout and help realize small victories on the way to the main goal, which promises high motivation.

What do you want to improve? How often do you want to practice? Answer these questions to set a few short action goals and understand how to start exercising the right way.

Find your active passion

Are there exercises or workouts that you enjoy, look forward to, that make you feel better? There is a high probability that they are your active passion.

Finding your active passion is the key to lifelong motivation. It's the workouts you think about when you wake up that get you excited and get you out of the house faster. Your active passion easily becomes a part of your life, shaping the decisions you make about training and nutrition.

For example, if you love rock climbing and want to get better at it, you're likely to regularly squat, pull up, and do workouts that will make you better and stronger at climbing, as well as improve your strength-to-weight ratio. The same applies to weightlifting. If you want to get stronger, you are going to train and eat with a focus on increasing your strength.

Your active passion can be anything - running, swimming, cycling, martial arts, kayaking, surfing, rock climbing, hiking, dancing, yoga, skiing, football and more. It is possible that the choice will fall on more than one hobby.

Connect your friends

People are socially motivated. They tend to train more often, harder, and more when they work out with other people. In addition, they tend to get the best effect from training.

Do you have friends, relatives or acquaintances in your life who fit the description of being active and healthy? Ask if you can join them when they go to the gym or work out outdoors. They can be the key to your motivation.

If you don't have any active friends right now, find out if any of your friends or family members share your goals. Two (or more) people will be enough to cheer each other up, train together and motivate each other.

Group classes or fitness classes

Even if you don't have active friends right now, there are great alternatives to help you get started exercising, meet new people, and build an active community. In most cities, you will find group classes and fitness classes (be it crossfit, yoga, dance, and so on). Some of these options work for a specific period of time (eg 4, 8, 12 weeks), while others are unlimited.

A useful feature of group classes is the fact that you do not have to think about training. All you have to do is come to a group where a certified trainer will tell you exactly what to do, how to do it and for how long. The coach will motivate you, push you, challenge yourself and improve your fitness.

This option usually requires a financial investment (like a gym membership or paying for a workout), but the investment also comes with a sense of responsibility. Group workouts in the Alexandria gym start from 1,000 rubles per month. You invest money in your health and its development under the guidance of an experienced coach. After a while, your coach and the people you train with will become your motivation and responsibility.

Group classes will help you start exercising and develop your fitness.

Workouts with a personal trainer

If you need a good plan, someone who will make you exercise responsibly and tell you how to train and eat properly to achieve your goals is the perfect solution for you. This option will require additional financial investment, but the benefits of working with a knowledgeable and experienced coach are priceless.

A qualified personal trainer will teach you the correct exercise form and technique. He can create a workout program that is tailored to you and your goals, stays safe, and gradually builds up in intensity and difficulty. The trainer will explain how to work out on your own at home when you are not visiting the gym, help you create a nutrition plan that guarantees the results you expect.

Working with a personal trainer can change your entire life and also help you update your exercise goals.

Follow an effective training program

Perhaps you have an idea about training, but you do not have an effective program to follow. You can go to the gym, but you don't have a proper workout plan to follow when you get to the gym. Order a training program from a trainer, explain to him your goals (for example, weight loss or muscle building), the trainer will give you the necessary direction and explain how to start training.

Of course, this will require some motivation to get started. If you're wondering if investing in a training program is the right option, we recommend asking yourself the following questions:

• Can I remain self-disciplined?
• Is there enough motivation to train?
• Can I perform basic strength exercises with confidence (enough fitness and technique)?

If you answered yes to all three questions, then you are a solid candidate for a pre-planned training program. The key to success here is that you must be responsible and willing to selflessly follow a 1-3 month training program.

Training is not enough to change the body

Training offers many incredible benefits - it improves your health, increases strength and endurance, reduces stress, and gives you confidence. But exercise alone is often not enough to lose weight or build muscle. Nutrition and exercise work together to shape your body. When it comes to weight loss and a leaner figure, nutrition has the most impact. You must consume fewer calories than you burn. And in order to build muscle without excess fat, you must focus on what and how much you eat.

You should also be mindful of sleep, stress management techniques, and habits. All of these lifestyle factors work together to achieve a healthier, better version of yourself.

To start training, you need motivation and work on goals that are within your reach. Try one (or more) of the above strategies, tell in