How To Get In Shape: A Beginners Guide To Starting Out And Getting Fit

If you are just starting to workout, or you are planning on doing so, it can be very intimidating and overwhelming if you have never done so before.  Walking into a gym or even trying to workout at home can feel very frustrating, and frustration often leads to discontinuation of one’s workouts.  In this article I’ll outline some tips, principles, and ideas that will help ensure that you reach your fitness goals. 

 

If you came across this article, you probably are already aware of the many benefits associated with working out, and don’t need to be convinced that it’s important to do so.  It’s often helpful though for people to write down the reasons they want to workout, and post the list somewhere that they will see it daily.  When you are feeling less then motivated, this can be a great means of helping to push you along.  It’s important to have such a list somewhere that you will see it daily, such as a refrigerator door.  If you place the list in your workout room or right near your workout equipment, you’re only going to see the list when you’re motivated enough to workout, and that defeats the whole purpose.  Below is an example of a hypothetical list of reasons why a person might want to workout.

 

1. I need to lose weight so I can play with my kids and not get so tired.
2. I need to get my cholesterol down.
3. I want to be able to walk longer distances and not get tired.
4. I want to not feel so lethargic all the time. 
5. I want to feel more comfortable about how I look. 

 

Of course this is a small list.  Many people’s lists include dozens of reasons.  The point here is to create a list that is meaningful to you and will help to keep you motivated in your workouts.

 

Getting Started

 

One of the most important things you can do before you begin an exercise routine is to talk with your doctor.  You may hear this a lot but it actually is very important.  Any number of medical conditions or ailments can affect what a person should do, and/or the way they should do them.  Your doctor may have restrictions or precautions he or she wants you to take when you workout.  Additionally, when people lose a lot of weight, it can sometimes affect medications.  Your doctor knows best and you and him or her should have a conversation about such matters before you start working out.

 

Choosing Your Workout Environment

 

When you workout, your choices will likely be a gym or similar type facility, or your home.  I can tell you from a lot of experience that people typically experience more success working out in a gym environment.  This is due in large part to the lack of distractions.  When a person goes into a gym to workout, there’s really not a whole lot else to do there besides workout.  In the home however, many things can distract a person from working out.  Many activities other than working out go on in the home, so a person’s mindset is very often not one hundred percent on the task at hand.  If you can workout at a gym or fitness center, I highly recommend you do so.  Many gyms today that are very basic in nature are very affordable today.  For the cost of a cup of coffee a day, you should be able to find a good gym to workout at. 

 

If you do choose to workout in your home, you want to make sure you have an area devoted to your workouts and a good selection of quality equipment and gear to workout with.  Ensuring you have the proper equipment from the start will help you that much more with your workouts.  Now that we have established some of the ideas to consider before you workout, lets talk about fitness and exercise in general, and some concepts you should keep in mind. 

 

Moving Your Body

 

Moving your body for an extended period of time involves an aerobic response by your body.  If you’re wondering how to get in shape, aerobic activity is one of the most important factors to consider.  Aerobic activity is the type of activity that increases rate of breathing and heart rate.  The main sources of energy for the body when engaging in aerobic activity are oxygen and fat. Because of this, aerobic activity as a form of exercise is very important for people looking to lose weight as well as improve overall health and wellness.  Activities that qualify as aerobic include walking, jogging, running, tennis, swimming, basketball, or spinning, to name a few.  While all of these activities will burn calories, some activities, based on their intensity, will expend calories at a more accelerated rate. 

 

If you have the opportunity to use a treadmill, stationary bicycle, or elliptical machine, make sure to input your personal information such as your age and weight when the machine prompts you to do so.  The machine will take your information and combine it with something called METS to calculate your approximate caloric expenditure.  This is very helpful information when it comes to losing weight.  Rather than focusing on time, one can setup their workouts so that once they reach a level of caloric expenditure, he or she is done with the workout.  On most aerobic style machines, the caloric expenditure is updated constantly so that you can see how many calories you burn as you progress.  Obviously, the faster and harder you go, the faster you burn calories.  Consider using this feature with any exercise machines you use. 

 

Moving Against A Resisting Force

 

The question of how to get in shape must ultimately touch upon resistance training.  Take note that I said resistance training, and not weightlifting.  Resistance training, or moving in some way against a resisting force, can come in several forms and includes weights, exercise bands, bodyweight movements, and even water providing fluid resistance.  The idea of resistance training is that your muscles must overcome an outside force pressing on or against it.  Resistance training is a little bit different than aerobic training in that it is much easier to do the movements wrong.  Doing weightlifting movements incorrectly can cause one of two types of injuries.  The first injury is one sustained immediately, often initiating a pop or surge of pain.  The second type of injury is one that is sustained over the long term from doing a movement incorrectly.  While both injuries need to be avoided, it’s the second injury that can be particularly bad because it comes from years of doing repetitive movements incorrectly.  This is why it is so important to do resistance training exercises correctly.  Because of this reason, I highly suggest that anyone starting out a workout program work with a good certified personal trainer.  Even if you only do a few hours worth of training, you can learn invaluable information that will help you stay safe while lifting.  A few hundred dollars may seem like a lot to some people, but if it keeps you from getting hurt in the long run it may be well worth it. 

 

Diet And Nutrition

 

No method of getting in shape is complete without having a sound diet and nutrition plan.  A great place to start for many beginners is to record and assess their eating habits as they currently exist.  It is a sad reality that most Americans eat more on a daily basis than their bodies require.  Before physical activity is factored in, the average adult male needs somewhere in the range of sixteen hundred calories a day, whereas the average female needs somewhere in the range of twelve hundred calories a day.  When a person takes in more than this everyday, a surplus of calories is created.  Those calories must either be expended or stored.  Unfortunately, for most people the calories end up getting stored, which translates into excess weight gain. 

 

One of the most important aspects of getting one’s eating in good order is to take a good look at your caloric intake.  If you can, try to calculate how many calories you take in on a daily basis.  Once you have done this, if you are overweight and hope to lose weight, you can then begin to fine-tune your caloric intake.  Even a reduction of a few hundred calories a day can translate into immediate weight loss.  One helpful factor to keep in mind is that one pound of fat is equal to thirty five hundred calories.  If you can lower your caloric intake over the course of a week by thirty five hundred calories, then you should be well on your way to losing weight.  Many people can cut out a few hundred calories a day just by eliminating pop and other drinks from their diet, or simply switching to the diet form of the drink if they feel they absolutely must have it.  Many people benefit from the advice and council of licensed dieticians.  I have had clients myself who have been helped greatly by working with these professionals in regards to their diets.  Consider working with a licensed dietician if you feel you need help or have special conditions for which professional help is needed. 

 

You’re Making A Great Decision

 

I congratulate you if you are starting a workout program and trying to learn everything you can to get the most out of your workouts.  Working out can be a lot of fun.  I have personally trained many people who had never worked out in their lives, were very overweight, and then after training for a while realized they really liked it and didn’t want to ever stop!  Working out helps people feel better about themselves and improves confidence and overall self-esteem.  I have never trained anyone who did not see benefits from working out, and have trained many people with serious physical problems and clients as old as ninety years old.  Stick with it, educate yourself, work hard, and get some accountability with a friend or spouse if possible.  If you do these things, you will be well on the way to having a better life through fitness.  Make sure to check back for more great articles that can help you in your quest for fitness and wellness.