Beginner’s Guide to Fitness and Working Out
Are you one of those who get gym memberships yet never get the time (and courage) to avail them? Want to begin your journey of a well-toned and strong body, yet don’t know where to start? Or are you one of those who look at the six pack abs of celebrities, and simply hope and wish you get a similar bod? If you replied yes to any of these questions (or all of these, like me) then do not fret for we still hold a chance. Working out can be as easy as you choose to take it. With the following guide to assist you in your fitness endeavor – let’s look at how we as beginners can begin our fitness and working out journey:
Know Your Purpose and Fitness Goal
The first step on the journey to a fruitful workout is knowing precisely why you wish to work out. There can be many reasons:
- Weight loss
- Raising stamina
- Preventing heart disease
- Improving mood
- Gaining a muscular figure
For many, the reasons aren’t generic but very temporary – maybe you wish to be slim enough to fit in your wedding dress, or are playing a role and the script requires a muscular figure and reduced weight.
Whatever the purpose be for your sudden interest in working out, it is imperative that you know your purpose well and are always reminded of it. This shall provide motivation to continue through the workout and achieve your fitness goal. For example, if you want muscular arms like a celebrity, attach a picture of that celebrity where you can see it often; reminding you of your goal and routine.
Prep your Body: Warm-Up
A warm-up is a way for the body to loosen sore muscles and prep itself for the intense workout that is to come afterward. If you are not used to performing strenuous exercise and skip the warm-up and begin exercises directly, there is a high probability of injury or straining muscles. Thus, we kid you not when we stress the importance of a good warm-up session.
A warm-up can entail simple ways to loosen the body:
- Go for a light jog
- Perform “marching” movements for a few minutes
- Slow cycling
Another way of warming up can be to perform the exercise you are about to do yet in a simplified and less strenuous fashion.
Define Your Fitness and Working Out Routine
When working out for the first time, start small and slowly advance to difficult exercises. Your initial exercises should be:
Classic Floor Pushup
- Begin by lying on the ground, face down, with your legs stretched behind you and your palms laying flat on the floor.
- Distance your legs and keep yourself on tiptoe.
- Exert force on your palms to lift you upwards while your feet remain distanced, tiptoed, and stretched behind you.
- Lift yourself to as far as your hand permit you, while your body remains stretched and unbent.
- Hold your pushup and repeat.
Learn more about the versions of the pushup with How to do Pushups for Beginners.
Plank Hold
- Begin by lying face down on the ground or a yoga mat.
- Lift yourselves partially with the assistance of your forearms. While your elbow should be directly aligned with your shoulders, your forearms should be completely on the floor.
- Lift your lower body with the help of your toes.
- Tuck your feet in – like a tiptoe – and stretch your body fully.
- Hold the position and repeat.
Don’t fully understand? Watch the video to learn a beginner’s plank hold.
Other beginner’s exercises include squats, lunges, jumping jacks, etc.
Cool Down – the Post Working Out Routine
Like a warm-up that prepares you for the workout, a cool-down session post-workout brings your body back to its regular state my regularizing the heartbeat, blood circulation, etc. To cool down your body, go for slight stretching or light-walking. Don’t forget to give your body all the building blocks it needs to recover after a good workout. Protein in forms of food and whey is a great way to ensure that your body can immediately start building itself back up. Need more info? Check out our article that highlights what health benefits protein provides as well as a couple of whey and plant-based powders we recommend!
Feeling motivated to begin your workout routine? Prep, plan, and start!
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