If you haven’t exercised in a while, the prospect of jumping back in may seem a little intimidating. You might not know where to start or be unsure how to stick with it. Thankfully, there are several ways to help you get back in the saddle and achieve that impressive, sculpted look.
Here are 10 steps to start exercising again and forge a godly body:
- Get reacquainted with your body.
- Set realistic goals.
- Start small and slow.
- Prepare the night before.
- Keep things fun.
- Kick bad habits.
- Bring a friend!
- Take rest days.
- Track your progress.
- Remember what motivates you.
1. Get Reacquainted With Your Body
After a workout hiatus, chances are you won’t quite know what your limits are.
So to help you craft a proper routine, take some time to assess your athleticism.
Set aside a day to do some things like:
- Measure your mile time (walking time if you can’t run it)
- See how many push-ups you can do
- Assess your resting heart rate
- Check your BMI
Knowing your baselines will help you measure progress and see how far you’ve come.
Plus, you don’t want to plan an overambitious workout if your body isn’t ready for it. Doing so could lead to injury or cause your motivation to take a hit.
2. Set Realistic Goals
Now that you have a better idea of where you athletically are, it’s time to set some goals.
While you undoubtedly want to get that sculpted look ASAP, you need to be fair to yourself. After all, you don’t want to set yourself up for failure with unattainable milestones.
At first, focus on some short-term improvements that you feel confident achieving. Such as bumping up the distance of your daily stroll or increasing the number of sit-ups you can do.
Research indicates that setting goals helps improve workout performance and consistency. Meaning that you shouldn’t overlook this vital step.
3. Start Small and Slow
When you start exercising again, try not to rush in full speed ahead.
It’s easy to get over-excited once you see some early results. But make sure you’re taking things slow and bumping up workout intensity gradually.
Otherwise, you may get burnt out and lose motivation. Or overstrain a muscle and get hurt.
And that doesn’t just apply to working out: lifestyle changes should be gradual too! Jumping headfirst into a diet on top of a new exercise routine can be overwhelming.
So, try taking things slow and listening to your body.
4. Prepare the Night Before
Did you previously work out in the morning but eventually lose that motivation?
It’s more common than you might realise. Especially when you consider the time it takes to get ready, pack clothes, and make breakfast.
To counteract this, try prepping and planning everything the night before. It’ll be much easier to get up and hit the gym when your bag is already packed.
And if you have trouble getting up, try placing an alarm clock on the far side of your room. That way, you’ll need to stand up and start moving to turn it off.
5. Keep Things Fun
One of the best ways to get back into exercise is to make it fun!
We naturally keep doing things that bring us joy. So if there are certain workouts you get a thrill out of, incorporate them into your routine.
Team sports are perfect for this if there’s a recreational cricket or football league near you. The mix of social and competitive aspects make them arguably the most fun way to get active.
Plus, one study found that enjoyable exercise reduces your likelihood of eating unhealthy snacks. An unexpected but welcome side effect.
6. Kick bad habits
A surefire way to help you burn that tummy fat and get shredded is nixing your unhealthy habits.
Liquid calories are a particularly huge problem for many people. Whether you drink soda or beer, both pack lots of extra carbs and sugars.
Smoking is also detrimental to your workout. It shrinks your blood vessels, restricting blood flow and making exercises harder.
If you want to start back on the path to a godly body, start by kicking these vices.
7. Bring a Friend!
When you get back into working out, finding motivation can be challenging. Particularly if you’re lacking any outside encouragement.
So why not enlist the help of a friend?
Having a workout buddy is an excellent way to keep you dedicated and consistent with exercise. After all, you’re far less likely to skip a workout if someone else is counting on you.
Plus, friends also provide both competitiveness and support. Which can make all the difference on days that you (or them) need an extra push.
8. Take Rest Days
Believe it or not, forging a god-like physique means sometimes taking things easy.
Research shows that our muscles need at least one to two days of recovery after exercise. Or even longer when we’re starting a new routine after a break.
As a result, it’s crucial to give yourself one or two rest days a week. And don’t target the same part of your body multiple days in a row (excluding cardio).
Failing to do so can lead to overtraining, leaving you exhausted and susceptible to injury.
9. Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress isn’t only good for bolstering your motivation—there’s evidence that it also improves your weight loss!
You can find all sorts of handy fitness tracking apps on your phone’s app store. Or, you can go old school and write everything down in a journal.
Either way, seeing how much you’ve improved can provide a big confidence boost. Not to mention that it helps you craft a better routine for your needs.
10. Remember What Motivates You
Sticking to a workout routine is no easy task.
If it were, everyone would be walking around looking like chiselled gods!
On those days where you feel a lack of drive, focus on what motivates you. Whether it’s forging a body that you feel proud of or impressing that special someone in your life.
All the hard work will be worth it once you start seeing results. So keep your eyes on the prize and don’t give up!