subject: I want to start working out- where do I begin? [print this page] The first thing to consider is your diet and lifestyle habits. In order to embark on a new workout regime, you should consider a healthy diet to help you achieve your aim of looking good. A balanced diet should include carbohydrates (like cereals, rice and bread), proteins (from meat and eggs) as well as at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day, to provide your body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet is key in helping you keep off the fat and in maintaining your new muscles.
Lifestyle habits like alcohol consumption, smoking and being sedentary can affect your physical health and mental motivation. Alcohol should be viewed as a treat and enjoyed in moderation. Smoking can reduce your lung capacity, affecting physical performance during exercise, while being sedentary can cause lethargy amongst other things (like obesity), which will diminish your motivation to become more active.
Once you are happy with any appropriate diet and lifestyle changes you have made, it is time to begin your exercise regime. It is important to start off slowly and increase the amount of time spent training gradually. This ensures the muscles you develop or the weight you lose are permanent. It is a good idea to start with cardiovascular improvements before starting weight training, as cardiovascular exercise improves your heart and lung capacity, which is essential to endurance during weight lifting exercise. A half-hour run or ten mile bike ride two or three times a week should be sufficient to start with, and you can gradually increase this as you feel your fitness improving.
Following this, you should join a gym as they provide the best facilities for weight lifting and weight exercises. Here, you are also shown how to use the equipment properly and can be given advice as to which machinery would be best for you to use to achieve your desired end results.
Remember, it is important to maintain cardiovascular fitness even once you are in the gym using the weights, so keep up with the running or cycling. It is also important to bare in mind that even once you have achieved the desired results, you should keep up the running or cycling and the weight work to maintain your great new shape!
