5 Workout Tips for Beginners

When beginning any exercise program, it’s important to pace yourself and not risk injury by overexerting yourself from the get-go – especially if it’s been a while since you worked out. To prevent that, here are some tips and tricks to get you started on your journey towards a healthier life.

Tip 1: Start Slow

Don’t just jump right in and start exercising five days a week -- that’s a recipe for disaster. It’s better that you gradually work up to exercising several days per week while you see how your body responds.

Start low and go slow. The current recommendation is 2-3 days per week, for at least 30 minutes per day. But for someone who is just starting out, I recommend that they start at 1-2 days per week and ramp it up from there.

Tip 2: Know When to Stretch

Stretching right before a workout may seem like the best thing to do, but you might be putting yourself at risk of injury. Instead, start with a short cardio warm up (walking or cycling for less than 10 min), then you should stretch your muscles dynamically (going through the movement patterns of you planned exercises with no-low resistance/weight). You are less likely to injure yourself when you’re stretching if your muscles are already a little warmed up.

Tip 3: Mix it Up

Whether you’re going for weight loss or bulking up, a mixed regimen of aerobic and strength training is the best way to achieve the body you want. But even within those categories, don’t stick to the same exercises every day. For example, don’t go running every day, it’ll get boring and you’ll get to a point where you don’t enjoy it anymore. Try biking, or the elliptical or whatever you enjoy most. If you like to play basketball or tennis, do that, because you’re more likely to stick to something you enjoy.

In addition, move between the four various types of exercise, which are aerobic, resistance (strength) training, flexibility (which includes yoga) and balance, which is especially important for seniors.

Tip 4: Know Your Weight and the Right Way to Use it

Most people are confused the first time they walk into a gym but are afraid of asking for advice.

If you don’t know ask! By law, gyms have to have people who can help show you how to work out on the machine, and it can save you from badly injuring yourself.

In addition, many gym newbies go for the heaviest weight they can -- a rookie mistake.

Go on a weight machine and, starting at the lowest weight, pull it down and keep adding on from there. Just keep increasing the weight until you reach a point where you can only do one or you can’t do any. That’s too much

You should be able to do about 10-12 reps for weight loss and endurance. It should be easy, but it shouldn’t be difficult to the point where you’re straining or breaking form.

Tip 5: Know When to Take a Break

When people start out, they are often overzealous and try to get to the gym every day. However, by not letting your body rest, you can be doing much more harm than good.

If you don’t give your body time to heal and repair itself, your performance will go down and you’ll get into a vicious cycle where you never fully recover.

It is normal to have pain and soreness after exercise, but it should not be debilitating.