How to Start Working Out

Setting Clear Goals

Talk to your doctor before beginning a workout regimen. If you're a rookie to the workout game, check with your doctor to see if there are any types of workouts or exercises that you need to avoid. This is especially important if you suffer from any chronic illnesses or have a physical disability. If this is the case, it's wise to consult a doctor. If you're a male over 45 or a woman over 55, do not start an exercise regimen without speaking to your doctor first. Your physician may even be able to suggest some specific exercises that you can safely perform.

Choose an exercise goal and a timeframe in which to accomplish it. This can be totally different for each person. Maybe you want to build muscle, maybe you want to lose weight, or maybe you want to keep your body fit and healthy. Having a clear goal will motivate you to continue exercising even when you don't feel like it. Aim for something specific: to run a half-marathon in 6 months, or to perform 30 push-ups per minute in 3 weeks. Think about what you want to be good at. Maybe you don't have a weight goal or a waistline goal, but you want to be able to run a 5k, no problem. Many people exercise so they can lose a little weight. Do you want to be 4 inches (10 cm) thinner around the waist by summer? 15 pounds (7 kg) lighter in 6 months? Lose 5% of your body fat by next year? Make sure to set healthy goals for yourself. Don’t try to lose an excessive amount of weight in a short amount of time. If you’re uncertain whether an exercise or weight-loss goal is healthy or not, check with your doctor.

Make exercise a priority in your schedule. It’s easy to fill up your free time with activities other than working out. To avoid this situation, prioritize daily (or weekly) exercise over other inessential parts of your day. Making exercise your first priority will ensure that it doesn’t get put off as mundane obligations start to pile up during the day. For example, set your alarm an hour earlier and get in some time at the gym before work every morning. Or, let your friends know that you can’t make it out for happy hour, since you need to exercise right after work. Conversely, be careful not to obsess over exercising, or to cut off social ties for the sake of working out. Keep yourself motivated by interspersing exercise with other components of your life.

Choosing the Right Workouts for You

Join a gym if you like a mix of strength and cardio. A gym’s main benefit is convenience: it has cardio machines, weight machines, and free weights (among other equipment) all in 1 place. If your main exercise goals are to improve your heart rate, lose weight, or bulk up on muscle, a gym is the best place to start. Don’t worry about feeling intimidated by other gym members, either. Most people at gyms are supportive of one another and mind their own business. Average gym membership costs can range from $20-45 USD per month. If that’s more than you can afford, try looking around for a discount gym in your area. Discount gyms may have fewer machines and weights but can cost as little as $10 USD per month.

Try yoga if you’re looking for a low-impact exercise. Yoga is a great add-on exercise to a cardio routine, and it is very relaxing. Look into yoga if you’d like a calming, centering experience that also stretches and builds tone in your muscles. Many YouTube channels offer yoga guidance. You can also look into taking a yoga class at a nearby gym.

Take group classes for extra motivation. Being around a group of other people who are doing the same exercise routine as you are can be fun. You’ll be motivated to keep up with everybody else in the group, and can make some friends among your classmates. Taking classes is also a great way to figure out which type of exercise you enjoy most and would like to pursue further. Most gyms and workout facilities offer classes at all different skill levels. If you’re just starting a new type of exercise—e.g., a spin class or yoga class—check out the beginner-level course.

Work with a personal trainer if you want more individual attention. A trainer can familiarize you with the gym, show you how equipment works, and answer any exercise-related questions you may have. Even if you don’t plan to work with a personal trainer long-term, having 2 or 3 sessions with a trainer can be a great way to learn about different types of exercise and find one that you enjoy. Depending on the gym you’re a member at, you may be entitled to a free session with a personal trainer just for signing up. Once the free sessions have expired, you’ll be looking at an average cost of $80-125 USD per session to work with the trainers. If you’d like a less-expensive option, see if trainers at the gym offer group-training sessions. You can also hire a private personal trainer to come to your home, but this is a much more expensive option.

Work out at home if you have time or financial constraints. If you don’t have the time or money to purchase a gym membership, you can easily find ways to work out at your own home. You can purchase a few small weights and do simple exercises while lying on your bed. Or, carry a heavy object around with you while you’re going about your day. You can purchase barbells or dumbbells at a local sport-supply store. If you’re more inclined towards cardio, purchase a jump rope and jump for 15–20 minutes a day.

Focus on the basics of weight training. Nobody starts out curling 85 pounds (39 kg) or bench pressing 200 pounds (91 kg). Begin your weight training with simple, reliable workouts that effectively build muscle. Start doing 4 to 8 different exercises, making sure to work out different muscle groups. Don't go for heavy weight when you start—it's better to lift lighter and maintain the right form. Good weight lifts include: Squats, lunges, deadlifts, and step-ups for the lower body. Push-ups, pull-ups, rowing, and free weights for the upper body. Planks and sit-ups for your core muscles. Take steps to avoid sore muscles if it becomes a problem.

Use a fitness app to track your progress. If you have a smartphone or tablet, download 1 or 2 fitness tracker apps to log your progress and monitor weekly improvements. Using an app can help motivate you to work out regularly, by allowing you to track calories, steps, sleep cycles, and other elements related to exercise and health. Try out apps like: MyFitnessPal, which allows you to track calories in the food you eat and features a step counter. Sworkit, which provides exercise videos that show you how to perform over 200 types of workout. MapMyRun, which will present you with multiple route options in your area based on how far and long you want to run.

Find a workout buddy for accountability. It’s easy to get burned out on exercise if you’re doing it alone. To prevent this fatigue, find a friend who wants to start an exercise program too. Ask if they’d like to join you on your bi-weekly trips to the gym, or a daily jog. Having a friend or 2 around to work out with will help keep you accountable and ensure that you stick to your exercise schedule. If you have a friend who already regularly works out, ask if you can join in on their schedule. EXPERT TIP Laila Ajani Laila Ajani Fitness Trainer Laila Ajani is a Fitness Trainer and founder of Push Personal Fitness, a personal training organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 10 years as a trainer and exercise specialist, Laila has expertise in competitive athletics (gymnastics, powerlifting, and tennis), personal training, distance running, and Olympic lifting. Laila is certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), USA Powerlifting (USAPL), and she is a Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES). Laila Ajani Laila Ajani Fitness Trainer Women and men often lose weight and gain muscle at different rates. Biologically, it is difficult for females to gain as much muscle mass as males. Also, females naturally have a higher body fat percentage than males. Because of that, it's unfair to compare your weight loss with a male partner, as it occurs at a different rate. It's important to avoid comparison in fitness journeys.

Implementing a Workable Routine

Select days and times when you can exercise. This will help the exercise regimen become a habit. In order to integrate this into your lifestyle, you'll need to make it a priority. To do this, set aside a time at least a few days a week. For example, plan to run for an hour every morning a 7am. Or, plan to hit the gym on Mondays from 6 to 8 pm. Getting over the initial hump will be the hardest part. If you exercise sporadically, whenever you feel like it, you'll fail to start an effective habit.

Start with some simple exercises. For general-purpose exercise, it's best to develop a well-rounded exercise regimen. As you figure out what exercises you prefer, you can later tailor your regimen and goals towards these exercises. Focus on strength training and cardio workouts at first. Try incorporating cardiovascular activity to your workouts. Start out simple with walking or running, whether on a treadmill or a trail. Do this for 20 minutes, 3-5 times a week. Incorporate strength-training exercises (like free weights or weight machines) into your weekly workouts too. Exercise all of your major muscle groups (chest and arms, legs, and core) at least 2–3 times a week.

Put together a fun exercise playlist. You’ll be more motivated to start exercise—and to keep going—if you have energetic music to listen to. Put together an hour’s worth of upbeat rock, pop, or hip-hop songs. Listening to music while exercising will distract you from the pain your muscles are in, and motivate you to push your body. Or, if you don’t have time to put your own playlist together, find pre-made workout playlists on music streaming sites like Spotify or Pandora.

Sneak in a few mini-workouts throughout the day. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym in order to exercise. There are plenty of short, effective workouts you can do during the day, whether at an office building or your home. You can work out at your office or work desk and get in some cardio exercise without even leaving your office. For example, if you work in an office building, take a 20-minute walk during lunch. Or, jog up and down the stairs for 15 minutes to raise your heart rate. Or, every 2 hours, take a 10-minute break to do 30 push-ups and 30 sit-ups."I didn't find exercise enjoyable until I realized that any movement is good movement. Rather than trying to push myself to perform at a specific intensity, I just try to find 30 minutes of movement in the day. I think of each little movement I do, like taking out that trash, as a tiny victory and additive to that 30-minute goal. This mindset shift — of thinking about my daily activities as exercise — helps me ease into exercise. It doesn't matter how long I do it. It just matters that I do it at all, and that's what feels good." -Thomas C, 28 year-old

Don’t exhaust yourself in the early phases of exercising. At the beginning, it's very important to know what you're capable of and listen to your body. Once you find yourself getting very short of breath, or your legs feel weak and wobbly, it’s time to stop running. Or, if your arms are shaking and you’re worried you may drop a weight on yourself, stop lifting immediately. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.

Allow recovery time after each workout. Give your body 1 day off to recover between sessions. You may not be able to exercise tomorrow, but you'll be able to exercise in the long run. Don't work out the same muscle group two days in a row—the muscles are literally ripping as you strengthen them. For strength training, it's very important to give your muscles 24 to 48 hours to repair themselves. Let them heal. If your muscles are still sore after 1 day off, add an extra off-day to be safe.

Creating New Habits

Make new goals that reflect your improving fitness level. When you feel it's time, reassess your fitness level. If you've already met your weight-loss goal, you can decide if you want to lose more weight, or start thinking about muscle definition instead. If your goal was to bench press 250 pounds (110 kg), keep working and set a new goal of benching 275 pounds (125 kg). Your expanded goals don't have to be limited to the gym. Have you been hiking that one trail without fail and with ease since you started? Time for the harder one. Or, lengthen the amount of time you work out. Instead of working out twice a week for 20 minutes, start working out 4 times a week for 30 minutes. As another alternative, if you’re happy with the way your body looks and the amount of muscle tone you’ve gained, you can set a new goal to maintain your current strength and appearance.

Try different types of workouts and exercises. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling, or rowing. If you crave more variety, don't stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing. As you explore activities, you'll most likely find something that tickles your fancy. When you do, latch onto it. Was swing dancing surprisingly enjoyable? Great! That's one more hour each week you'll stay moving. If you've been running that same 5k five days a week, take it outside. Find a new trail, start running at night, or start for a 7k. If that's not enough, pick up a new activity entirely. A yoga fan? Try Pilates. Always wanted to try kickboxing? Go for it.

Build up the frequency of your exercise sessions. As you progress, you'll find that your routine is just too easy. It may be tempting to be content with that, but push yourself. For example, it’s smart to start exercising with 2 workouts per week. After 6 months at this rate, add a third exercise session per week. Then, in another month, add a fourth and fifth. You can also alternate different types of workouts. For example, hit the gym on Tuesday and Thursday, and run a couple miles on Monday and Wednesday. EXPERT TIP Laila Ajani Laila Ajani Fitness Trainer Laila Ajani is a Fitness Trainer and founder of Push Personal Fitness, a personal training organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 10 years as a trainer and exercise specialist, Laila has expertise in competitive athletics (gymnastics, powerlifting, and tennis), personal training, distance running, and Olympic lifting. Laila is certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), USA Powerlifting (USAPL), and she is a Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES). Laila Ajani Laila Ajani Fitness Trainer Gradually increasing the weights you lift in the gym will help keep you motivated. For each exercise, start with a weight you can handle for three sets of 4-8 reps, then increase the weight for the next workout while keeping the same routine. People become addicted to strength training because they enjoy tracking their progress and seeing their numbers increase.