Tips on starting back exercising
Everyone knows that exercise is important. All around us, we are told to exercise by the internet, the media, health professionals and even our family and friends! However, for some of us, the idea of exercising is a night mare.
How to start exercising when you are out of shape is difficult when you don’t quite know where to start.
As one of Brisbane’s leading exercise physiology clinics, Pivotal Motion has these top tips on how to start back exercising when you are out of shape or condition.
Tips on starting back exercising from Pivotal Motion Physiotherapy
1. A little at a time goes a long way!
To make exercising less terrifying, we advise that you start with a little bit at a time so the task seems less daunting.
Aim to start with 20-30 minutes of exercise about three times a week. This will allow your body and mind to get used to the idea of exercising and allows for rest days in between for recovery.
As you condition physically and mentally, you can work on increasing the time spent per exercise session or the frequency per week. The recommended amount of exercise according to The Australian Department of Health is 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.
2. High Intensity is Key.
If you fear putting your body through prolonged periods of pain while exercising, then this tip is the solution for you. It has been proven that a more efficient way of exercising is to perform high intensity exercises. This allows you to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.
There is no need to run lengthy distances because a simple 20-30-minute high intensity work out can achieve similar effects in a timely manner. A great guide to knowing if your exercise is ‘High intensity’ is to monitor your breathing.
You should be breathless and only able to say short simple words while doing exercises. If you are a busy person, then this tip is for you because you can still bust out a vigorous work out in a short amount of time. Remember, it is quality over quantity.
3. Make the exercise stimulating for you.
Like anything else in life, we do things that we enjoy doing. Therefore, we advise that you do the type of exercise that you like to do. It’s that simple.
There are a whole range of exercises out there. Be it swimming, running, playing a team sport, gym work outs or group boot camp sessions; there is guaranteed to be an exercise regime out there tailored for you.
In this regard, exercising doesn’t have to be a drag when you are doing something you love.
4. Rally your friends!
If you prefer to smash a workout by yourself, that’s fine. However, for some of us, exercising by ourselves can be unmotivating and boring!
The solution? Exercise with your friends! There is nothing better than having your best mates with you to help motivate you and vice versa.
Together, you and some friends can write down specific fitness goals to achieve and hold each other accountable to those goals. Group exercise classes in a gym can be a great way to exercise in a social setting.
5. Use body weight exercises to start strengthening
Don’t want to go to a gym or spend money on exercise equipment? That’s ok because you can exercise and achieve your goals by performing body weight exercises.
These exercises are easy to do, don’t require you to spend money. Exercise can be done at home or local park.
Some examples of body weight exercise include squats, lunges, heel raises, push ups, planking and burpees. For the best 7 exercises to do when you are on the go follow this link.
For more tips on exercise or just looking for advice on how to start back into exercise. Call our team on 07 3352 5116 or book an appointment online to see one of our friendly physiotherapist.
