How to start exercising without feeling overwhelmed
If you’re feeling the pressure to live a healthier lifestyle, you’re far from alone. Whether it’s because of the current pandemic, new year’s resolutions, or health concerns in general, many of us feel the pull to improve our health and wellbeing. One of the best ways to do that is to start exercising. It’s no secret that there are so many benefits of exercise for your body, mind, and spirit.
Even so, it can be overwhelming to join a gym or start a home exercise program – especially if it’s your first time. This Pacific Prime Hong Kong article is a beginner’s guide to working out to help you get started with ease.
Beginner’s guide to exercise
One of the optimal things you can do for your overall health is to exercise regularly. If you stick to a consistent practice, you’ll start to see and feel the benefits in no time. With that said, making exercise a part of your routine takes determination and discipline.
Benefits of exercise
To help motivate you, start by thinking about why you want to exercise. With regular exercise, you can:
- Achieve and maintain healthy body weight and muscle mass
- Reduce risk for chronic diseases
- Maintain good energy levels
- Boost mental health
- Improve sleep
Essentially, exercise can improve your health and life significantly.
Types of exercise
There are several types of exercise, with some of the most common including aerobic, strength, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), stability, and flexibility. You can do them on their own or combined. It can be helpful to think about what your goals are. For example, the best exercise for mental health will likely be less intense than, say, a boot camp.
Keep in mind that you want a balanced fitness routine that incorporates aerobic, strength, and mobility exercises as this will help you stay healthy and reduce the risk of injury in the long term. Balancing various types of exercise may sound daunting, but it simply takes adding some strength, stretching, or cardio to a workout routine or finding an exercise that incorporates a combination of all three.
When in doubt, hire a personal trainer or sign up for classes.
How to start a new exercise routine
There are some things you need to consider before giving a new workout routine a go.
Consult your doctor
The first thing you want to do is consult your healthcare provider to check your health, especially if physical activity is something new to you. Not only will a checkup help detect any potential problems, but it can also help you create an exercise plan that caters to your needs.
Come up with a realistic plan
Once you’re ready to start exercising regularly, it’s time to make a plan that includes realistic steps and goals. Start with simple exercises and build on them as you become more comfortable and fit. You’ll find small achievable goals are easier to reach and help you stay motivated.
Also, realize that you don’t have to reboot your healthy lifestyle in a drastic way. There’s no need to sign up for a 6 am exercise class before work if you already struggle to get out of bed. The healthy changes you make will add up over time, regardless of their size. So if 10-minute workouts are more achievable than hour-long sessions, start with that.
Stick to your routine
If you want to reap the benefits of exercise, it has to become a habit. Creating a schedule or exercising every morning/night can help you maintain a routine over time. Make sure to choose a time that works for you so it’s easy to stick to.
When coming up with a routine, make sure to focus on activities you actually enjoy. It’s easier to put off working out if you don’t like the activity you’re doing. A good idea is to improve your physical activity level with exercises you like, then gradually increase the intensity to stay consistent throughout your journey.
Keep trying
Now, just because you’ve committed to working out doesn’t mean you can’t change your routine if it’s not working for you. If you find yourself dreading going to the gym or making excuses to miss a certain class, you should look for a different activity before you swear off exercising altogether. Not all types of exercise are going to click. The key is to find what works for you while challenging you – and to realize that that can change over time too.
As long as you listen to your body and do what makes you feel good, you’ll find it easier to squeeze workouts in and look for simple ways to improve your health. Because once you feel good about yourself and your choices, you’ll naturally want to maintain that – and it won’t feel overwhelming at all.
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With over 20 years of industry experience, Pacific Prime Hong Kong can help you find the right plan for your needs and budget. Looking for individual health insurance, international health insurance, or other health insurance plans?
Contact us for impartial insurance advice and a free plan comparison today.
Jantra curates and reports on the results of Pacific Prime’s monthly newsletters, as well as manages Pacific Prime’s Deputy Global CEO’s LinkedIn posts. Complemented by her background in business writing, Jantra’s passion for health, insurance, and employee benefits helps her create engaging content - no matter how complex the subject is.
Growing up as a third-culture kid has given her a multicultural perspective that helps her relate to expats and their families while 8 years of working remotely have given her unique insight into hybrid work arrangements and enthusiasm for employee benefits.
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