Just to warn you up front, this is definitely a “to be continued…” topic. The discussion of “How to Exercise” justifies at least an entire book series, video production, and, last but not least, comprehensive and interactive website.
To help us get on the same page and all get started on the same foot, I’ll assume that you don’t currently exercise. If you do, hopefully, at least for my benefit, you don’t exercise correctly.
Thankfully, if you haven’t exercised for a while, your body will respond to almost anything. Even relatively pathetic quantities and intensities of exercise will elicit rather substantial adaptations within the body. And not only will your body respond favorably to “next to nothing” workouts, it may also respond poorly to anything beyond that. An initial “less is more” approach is safe as well as smart.
If you haven’t been physically active for a while, doing less should actually be quite exciting news for you. As long as you progressively do more than your body is used to doing, you will adapt in a positive way.
To help you get going, here are some exciting principles for those of you about to be committed… to exercise.
Let’s start with cardio. I have two suggestions for aerobic exercise. Take it in stride. Don’t do it on a treadmill.
#1: Take it in stride.
Your cardio sessions should initially be light. Easy does it! Your heart, lungs, and blood vessels are at the mercy of your brain. If your brain tells them to take a vacation, you can’t expect much out of them when they go back to work. So… no matter what the person next to you (in the gym or on the fitness video) is doing, don’t try to keep up with them. You’ve now heard it straight from the horse’s mouth; don’t try to “keep up with the Joneses” at first.
There are many fancy options on cardio equipment today… hill sequences, random programs, time intervals, etc…. but don’t use them at all for the first couple of weeks. Just pick a comfortably low workload that you could maintain for a long time, and do it only for as long as you feel comfortable. If you only have three minutes, do three minutes. If you have ten, do ten. 15-20 minutes is probably a better target but, at least at this point, duration really doesn’t matter.
Although a five minute workout is “next to nothing,” it still is more than what you’ve been doing recently, right? Your body will have no choice but to respond accordingly. Put your brain in charge of your body for a change and your body will change in a way that will recharge your brain. It’s a positive feedback loop that reinforces your efforts.
So, you’re taking your cardio in stride for the first couple of weeks… short duration and low intensity. Sounds easy, but it sure helps overcome the resistance of getting started. Now let’s look at the part about not striding.
#2: Don’t do it on a treadmill.
Most people, even if completely sedentary, still walk on a daily basis. One of the key principles to consistent results from exercise is to regularly perform activities that are not a familiar part of your current routine.
Since your body has already adapted to walking, then getting on a treadmill, even if you walk at an incline, is essentially just a high-tech way of doing what you are already doing each day. Granted, walking, and jogging, and running are great forms of cardio, but not for you, not for now. Either it is too familiar or too forceful.
If they’re available, you’re better off performing types of cardio that your body is not used to doing. Force your body to change by forcing it to do something different. I would also suggest keeping the exercises limited to non-weight bearing activities; in other words, take a load off. Start with modes such as biking and rowing so you can at least sit down while you’re moving. These aren’t necessarily easy, but they’re easier. Weight-bearing and weight-displacing exercises (such as stair climbing and jumping rope) should definitely be avoided, at least initially. So begin with the former and progress to the latter, later.
Please take this advice to heart… a low intensity of a little cardio. There’s always plenty of time to progress and make progress. For now, let’s just get you out of the gate safely and keep you heading in the right direction.