How to start training if you are sedentary

Exercise, physical activity or sport is a lifestyle . Doing physical exercise daily (and ideally with a training routine) helps us to find ourselves in perfect condition, both physically and emotionally.

This is one of the basic principles of well-being , which seeks a healthy balance between the mental, physical and emotional levels. Exercise, in addition to helping us have the body we want, is also very useful for releasing tension and stress from everyday life, stimulating the production of happiness hormones - such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphin and enkephalin, among others. It is the best ally for our health, as it improves circulation, heart health, lung capacity and many other aspects.

For all these reasons, it is essential that sedentary people start exercising for good. It is not just about staying in shape, but also about taking care of your health. Furthermore, exercising is one of those disciplines that quickly becomes a hobby and, in the end, ends up becoming an essential part of your daily life.

How to start exercising from scratch?

Everyone has the opportunity to exercise , at least within their limitations. And the fact is that, no matter how small, exercise is a beneficial practice for physical and emotional health. Exercise will help boost your body and force it to function as it should. It will take you out of lethargy, it will remove the rust and it will give you much more energy and vitality in your day to day life. Now, to answer how to start exercising from scratch, it is important that you take into account the following tips, so that you can enjoy it all and the idea of ​​giving it up will not cross your mind.

Set a realistic goal

There are many reasons why you might want to start exercising. Most of the time it’s to lose weight, others to gain muscle mass and tone your body, and others simply to improve your health and overall physical condition. The important thing, especially in the first two examples, is that you set a realistic goal. If you’re one month away from summer, it’s very likely that you won’t get to “operation bikini,” for example. Always keep in mind that the important thing is to start and that the little you do will be more than you were doing up until now. Keep in mind that it’s a progressive process and that everything that requires effort is worth it.

Start gradually

If you have been stuck in a sedentary lifestyle for a long time, the ideal and most recommended thing is to start with simple exercises and gradually increase the intensity. You can follow any of the training plans aimed at beginners or analyze how your body responds to the exercises you have chosen and increase the intensity based on that. Of course, never exceed your limits, as excess of anything is harmful and can cause serious problems such as injury. Below, we present a list of simple exercises that can be useful to answer how to start exercising from scratch.

• Aerobic exercises : Try walking fast, going up and down stairs, cycling, running, swimming, jumping rope...
• Strength exercises : Start with calisthenics (using your own body weight) and gradually introduce weights, dumbbells, kettlebells, and even weight machines. You can also do push-ups, squats, and pull-ups.
• Flexibility exercises : We recommend that you do stretching, lunges and jumps, among others.

Design a fun routine

You can create your own routine or get inspired by other routines that have already been created . The important thing is that you find it fun and that it motivates you to do it. In other words, that you don't see it as an obligation —or at least, most of the routine—. Also, to make the routine more fun, you can put on your favorite music, listen to a podcast that you like... Of course, like any exercise routine, it is essential that you do a series of stretches beforehand and warm up properly.

Reward the effort

Also, to make exercise more fun, we recommend that every time you finish the day, you reward your effort with something good and healthy , like a protein bar with no sugar —or very little—.

How to start training at home?

The process for starting to work out at home is very similar to that of a gym — the important thing, in all cases, is persistence, motivation and doing the exercises correctly . We recommend that you take the following into consideration:

Put training videos

We’ve already explained how to start exercising if I’m sedentary. Now, if you’re going to do the routine at home, we recommend that you look for audiovisual material to get started. Watch videos from the main platforms to get started with exercise and then get ideas to design your own routine based on what you like most and your needs.

Equip yourself with the necessary material

Once you have more experience, observe the results and see that things are serious, at least after the first two months, equip yourself with professional sports equipment to do your exercises . This will make your work considerably easier and motivate you to continue exercising - the results will be visible more quickly.

Switch to a healthy diet

To notice faster results, we recommend that you switch to a healthy diet and avoid consuming junk food, or at least reduce it. Eliminate processed sugars and replace them with fruits, and also reduce the amount of food you eat to the daily calories you need. Of course, like everything else, so that your body lacks nothing. Some examples of superfoods that have everything and that you can incorporate into your diet are: ginger, green tea, blueberries, nuts (in small quantities), quinoa and pumpkin.

Check your weight weekly

One of the best ways to figure out how to start exercising and stick with it is to weigh yourself each week. While you may not see the results, they are there. Weigh yourself each week and if you’ve followed these tips, you’ll notice the reading on the scale go down—especially if you’re looking to lose weight rather than gain muscle.