Check your starting point

Before starting to incorporate exercise into your schedule, the best thing you can do is go to your health provider to get a physical examination. They can help you understand what potential health problems you may have that could cause issues during certain exercises. If you go to a wellness clinic, they can help set up a program for weight loss that fits you and your needs optimally.

Set realistic goals

 

A lot of people jump into exercise head-first, and that is not the thing to do. Don’t be overzealous and set extreme goals like running a mile when you’ve never gone for a run in your life. Instead, start a plan that is easy to follow that you can build on as you start to feel physically able. Push yourself, but don’t push too hard, and reward yourself to achieving your goals.

Make a schedule and stick to it

Turn your exercise into a schedule and stick with it. Whether you exercise every other day or only on certain days, morning or night, make a commitment and stick to it. If possible, find an exercise buddy who can help hold you accountable. Once more, rewarding yourself for sticking to a schedule is a great way to keep motivated.

Be mindful of your limits

If you’re not used to regular exercise, you may find you move much more slowly than you want to, especially when you start to feel sore. Soreness is natural and something that can be fixed with some quality stretching, but do not push past pain or nausea– if you are feeling either of these symptoms, it is better to stop and pick things up later. The exercise will wait for you.

Monitor your progress

A few weeks after you start exercising, retake whatever fitness assessment you initial took to rework your program– whether that is in switching out certain exercises for a new one or increasing your exercise time. You might be right where you need to be with your program, or it might be time to move on. Not only will this help keep your fitness journey moving, but it will help you from feeling bored with whatever program you’ve set.