How to Start Working Out - IV Revival

How to Start Working Out

If your New Year’s resolution was to work out more — or if you just want to pick up the habit — let us be the first to say congratulations! Getting into shape or building muscle is a huge reward, though it’s not always the easiest thing to start. At IV Revival, we’re huge advocates of whole-body wellness, which means we’re here to help anyone, and everyone start their wellness journey. That’s why we made a quick guide on how to start working out and shared our methods that will help ease you into the habit!

How Much Exercise Do You Need?

Before you start exercising, it’s a good idea to figure out how much you need to do to get the results you want. Nothing will happen overnight, so we recommend building yourself up to your goal in a slow, but steady (and healthy) way.

With that in mind, the first thing you need to know is that a little exercise is better than none at all. Going for a quick walk is better than sitting on the couch; one minute of activity will help you lose more weight than no activity at all. Doing a little will help you work up to the recommended 150 minutes of exercise each week.

How Hard Do I Need To Exercise?

Whether an activity is low, moderate, or vigorous intensity varies according to your personal fitness level. As a general guideline, though:

  • Low-intensity activity: You can easily talk in full sentences, or sing while doing it
  • Moderate intensity: You can speak in full sentences, but not sing while doing it
  • Vigorous intensity: You are too breathless to speak in full sentences while doing it

When you’re starting off, we don’t recommend vigorous activity. If your muscles aren’t ready for this type of exercise, then you risk injury! Instead, stick with exercises that increase your heart rate and have you breathing a little heavier than normal, but do not make you out of breath.

Good beginning exercises include walking, hiking, and using exercise machines at the gyms. If you want to lift free weights, look into forms and how to scale your weights before you pick one up!

While everyone is different, don’t assume that training for a marathon is better than training for a 5K or 10K. There’s no need to overdo it.

How to Start Working Out

Working out is as much of a mental game as it is a physical game. You may have to force yourself to do it the first few weeks, but you’ll soon start to enjoy it and miss it if you skip a day.

Whatever your age or fitness level, there are steps you can take to make exercise less intimidating and painful and more fun and instinctive.

For one, ditch the “all or nothing” mentality. Working out isn’t all or nothing — it’s about listening to your body and scaling up in a healthy and sustainable way. Doing something wrong can cause serious bodily harm, so don’t push yourself if your body isn’t ready to be pushed. Remember, everyone starts somewhere. Even body-builders started with small weights!

Secondly, be kind to yourself. You only have one body and you should embrace it. Don’t compare yourself to others — focus on you and learn how to be okay with the body you have while you work toward the body you want. Think happy thoughts and you’ll be more motivated to get on the treadmill than you would if you weren’t kind to yourself. Trust us — it saps your motivation!

Finally, make sure you have realistic expectations. No one can lose 10 pounds overnight. It’s rare and usually unsafe to lose 10 pounds in a week. Keep your goals realistic and make sure you’re not hurting yourself to reach them.

Fight Your Excuses for not Exercising

Making excuses for not exercising? Whether it’s lack of time or energy, or fear of the gym, there are solutions. We hear these commonly (and said a few ourselves), so we wanted to address them here too.

Excuse 1: I Hate Exercising

Most of us hate exercising, especially before we do it. Sweating isn’t everyone’s favorite thing and waking up to aching muscles doesn’t leave most of us happy. We get it. However, it’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be, especially if you get into a routine. Your body will get stronger and adapt, and you’ll soon find that you’re looking forward to going to the gym, even if it’s just to stretch!

There are also exercises that can be pretty fun. Take a walk at lunch, walk around the mall, go on a bike ride, a hike, or swimming. Playing sports is also great exercise too! All of these can be fun alternatives that help get you moving during the week.

Excuse 2: I’m Too Busy

This one is so common and we get it completely. Between work, family, friends, and taking care of food and chores, it’s hard to find time to exercise. If that sounds familiar, we recommend breaking your workouts up throughout the day. 15 minutes before work, 20 after, and a walk during your lunch break adds up!

Excuse 3: I’m Too Tired

Oh boy, do we hear you on that one. We’re tired too after work. It may sound crazy, though, but exercise actually helps you wake up and feel more energized. Go on a walk and give it a try!

Excuse 4: Exercise is too Painful

If your workout session hurts, then you’re probably not ready for that type of workout. Don’t push through the pain, change it up! You can build your strength and fitness by walking, swimming, or even playing golf, gardening, or cleaning the house.

Stay hydrated too! Dehydration can lead to headaches, muscle cramps, and burning sensations after even simple workouts.

Excuse 5: I Don’t Want to Diet

You don’t have to diet if you want to work out! While you’ll get the best results if you change your eating habits too, you don’t need to do that right away. Plus, there are easier ways to fill in nutritional gaps than adding a ton of new vegetables to your diet.

Try mobile IV therapy first! Our registered nurses will come straight to the door and mix your customized IV right in front of you, so you know exactly what you’re getting. Need a little B12 to fight fatigue? We got you covered. Hydration to help boost your pre-workout? We have it. Magnesium for headaches and muscle pain after? We have that too. So give us a try before (or after) your next workout. Give us a call today at 602-755-9525 or visit us online!

Ready to feel your best?

Contact us today to learn how IV Revival can help.

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