By Jenna Scanlan, Personal Trainer and Physical Therapist
How To Start a Workout Plan
Exercise benefits include building muscle and improving balance, coordination, mood, and sleep. When first starting to exercise, it can seem overwhelming to know where or how to start.
See tips below on how to get started.
- Start small to introduce exercise to your body gradually. A marathoner doesn’t go out the first day and run 26 miles but instead builds up the mileage slowly.
- Incorporate functional movements that hit many muscle groups. You already squat, lunge, push/pull during your day, so do those same movements but with more repetitions or hold some light weights.
- Warm-up and cool down before and after your workout. A warm-up tells your body that you’re about to exercise. A cool-down helps your body unwind from the activity. Each should last 3-5 minutes. Incorporate stretches and flexibility movements.
- Use proper form with exercises. If you want to do a specific exercise, make sure that you do it correctly to avoid injuries. Meet with a personal trainer to go over the proper technique of exercises you want to perform.
- Breathe. Coordinate your breath with the exercise, and exhale during the most challenging part of the exercise. Do not hold your breath while exercising.
Learn the proper way to warm-up, how to reduce your aches and how to have sustained results with a personal trainer today!