Starting An Exercising Routine​

The first step to successfully reaching any goal is to set your intention. Pull out a piece of paper and think about what it is you want to accomplish.

Ask yourself questions like, "Why do I want to achieve this goal? What steps do I need to take to get there?" To get started exercising, you may want to make a work- out schedule.

This will help you stay on task and give yourself a visual cue to help build the healthy habit you desire. ​

Sometimes building up the mental motivation to exercise is harder than actually doing it. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the thought of too much work which prevents you from even starting. ​

A good approach in starting an exercise routine is to begin slow and for a short period of time. Plan your first week with only five to ten minutes of exercise. Knowing you only have to exercise for five to ten minutes will help you to feel less overwhelmed and make it easier to overcome the mental "dread" of having to exercise. Five to ten minutes won't take up too much of your time and you will feel you can handle it. Another reason it is important to start with only five to ten minutes of exercise, is to let your body acclimate to exercising. If you are out of shape you can easily injure yourself or over do it which could lead to not exercising in the future.

The next step in starting an exercise routine is the most important one. You must be consistent! Since you are starting with only five to ten minutes of exercise, you should aim for four to five days a week. The more consistently you exercise will help you to stay motivated and on schedule. Starting a routing is building a habit, but until it is a habit, you need to stick to the schedule. Try for everyday or every other day, but at a minimum, three times a week. Try not to skip too many days because this will maker harder to start again. ​ Each week plan to increase your work out time by five to ten minutes until your work outs are between thirty to sixty minutes long depending on what works for you. If you need to continue at fifteen minutes a work out for two weeks before increasing, that's okay. Go at your own pace and don't stress if you miss or have an off day. If you are feeling less motivated, it is better to keep on schedule and just do a shorter work out. Just remember to stay consistent. ​ You will be amazed at how quickly your body adapts and you will see and feel the results within just a few weeks. Your stamina will improve and depending on the type of exercise you choose, you may notice that you are more flexible or have more muscle tone. You will also notice yourself feel better throughout the day when you are eating a plant-based diet and exercising. You will have more energy and feel good. You can also experience a natural "high" from exercise due to the release of hormones called endorphins which improve mood, relieve stress and pain. Exercise will help you to burn fat and calories. In addition, the more muscle you have on your body the more fat your body will burn at rest. ​ What kind of exercise should you do? Well, what they say is true, you should pick something you like because you will be more likely to stick with it. With that being said, you may want to try different types of exercise to find one you like. You can also vary your work outs to different kinds of exercise. For example, you could walk one day or do stretching the next day. To reshape your whole body, weight training is one if the best ways to tone and target all muscle groups. Which ever exercise you choose, include both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. A lot of exercises are both aerobic and anaerobic. Anaerobic exercise creates lactic acid build up and acidity within the body, so try to keep it at a comfortable level and not over stress the body too much. For example, if you choose weight lifting, use light enough weights that you are able to breathe fluently and are not holding your breath or gasping for air. It is beneficial to include enough intensity while exercising to induce a sweat. Sweating is one of the best ways to detoxify the body through the pores of the skin. Exercise that increases circulation of blood and lymphatic drainage are also very beneficial. For example, using a re-bounder is a great option for exercise to help improve circulation of blood and lymphatic system and sweat. ​ It is important to make the most of your workout. Here are some key tips to get the best results. First and foremost, there is a mind body connection that must be tapped into for an effective work out. Before you begin, focus your awareness and make a conscious effort to connect your mind and body by focusing your concentration on the body part and exercise you are doing throughout your workout. Use your breath as a way to keep your mind and body connected. With most types of exercise, breathing is a helpful way to keep that connection. For example, use your breath in yoga to relax into a pose when it is difficult and in weight training, breathe out on the concentric phase and in on the eccentric phase of the exercise. This controlled breathing also increases oxygenation to the body and muscles and helps to prevent lactic acid from building up. Next, make sure before you begin you have good posture and maintain the good posture throughout your routine. Stand up straight and hold your stomach in. Start by warming up. For a quick and easy warm up slightly bend the knees and step from side to side while swinging the arms. Once you are warmed up, do a few mild stretches before you begin.

Another way to make your workout the most effective, would be to do some isometric squeezes of the muscles you will be using. For example, if you are going to work your biceps, you can squeeze each of your biceps in a bicep curl squeezing the muscle and holding it for six to ten seconds. Do this a few times before you begin. This isometric move will prepare the muscle you are going to work and help tie in that mind body connection. While exercising, it is always better to do slow and controlled movements while keeping proper form, rather than to swing around without focused effort. For example, it is more effective to do ten strong slow and controlled sit ups in proper form, than twenty fast non-controlled sit ups. ​ Now you should be ready to write up your exercise goals, brainstorm different types of exercises you might want to do and start writing your workout schedule. Remember, to take it slow and make it enjoyable. ​ Disclaimer: This is not medical advice and always check with your doctor before beginning exercise.