3 Tips For Exercise Beginners

By Lisa Holtan

If you are thinking about starting up a workout routine as a beginner, there are some common tips I would like to share with you to help you know what to expect in your workout and pointers to guide you to success. The number one motivation I can share to you before anything else is consistency is key to making anything in life become a habit; so stick with your new exercise routine and you will reach your health and fitness goals.

1. You are going to be sore. Muscle soreness is very common for anyone starting a new exercise routine, whether beginner or Olympian. Your muscles will be sore the next day, and possibly up to two days, after your workout. You will be using your muscles in ways they may not be accustom to, so they will need time to adjust to the new movements. This soreness use to be attributed to lactic acid buildup in the muscles, something your body produces to keep muscle energized during your workout. However, new studies show lactic acid burns off soon after the end of your workout and doesn’t stick around long enough to make you sore for days afterward. Instead, studies say muscle soreness is due to tiny muscle tears, called microtearing, your body experiences during exercise. This is called DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. The soreness helps build muscle fiber and make your muscles stronger. Muscle soreness is okay. If you are super sore after your workout go on a light walk to help ease the soreness or do some simple stretching. Keep working out and soon your body will build up muscle to a level where you won’t experience the same level of soreness.

2. Start with simple exercises that you know how to do. If you don’t know how to do any exercises, contact a personal trainer, like myself, who can point you in the right direction. The worst thing you can do is hurt yourself because you are doing the exercises incorrectly. An easy beginner’s full body workout can include light cardio followed by squats, push-ups, crunches, and end with a plank.

3. Include both strength training and cardiovascular exercises into your new routine. In order to build muscle and burn fat (lose weight) you need to do both weightlifting and cardiovascular exercises. Start with 2 days of each per week then move to 3 days of each per week. Make sure to include stretching your muscles after your workouts. More than anything else, including both cardio and weights into your new fitness routine will build muscle, which burns calories faster, shrinks fat from the body, and increases your health.

For more tips and hints on how to begin your new journey into fitness, schedule a health assessment or personal training session, contact me, Lisa, with any questions via my email: ptwithlisa@gmail.com. If you prefer online training check out this website: www.personaltrainingwithlisa.com.