How to Get Started Exercising - Three Rules
I’m a big fan of Leo at Zenhabits, but his Top 42 Exercise Hacks left me exhausted. Who needs forty two rules for getting their body in shape? It’s too much! Keep it simple, stupid! No, I’m not saying that Leo is stupid. I say that the K.I.S.S. rule applies here too. If you want to get in shape and make it a habit, all you need is three rules:
1. Have fun
Unless you’re planning to win a race or set a record, it doesn’t really matter what kind of exercise you do. Anything that gets your blood pumping and challenges your muscles will benefit you. Don’t feel like going to the gym? Play catch with your kids in the backyard.
2. Don’t hold back
Everybody says that you should take it slow. Don’t. Unless you think slow is fun. If you give it all you’ve got, you’ll discover that you’ll quicker get that adrenaline rush that makes it feel good to exercise. And you’ll get that wonderful soreness the next day.
3. Plan next Action
Never leave an exercise without planning the next, within two to three days. If something gets in you’re way, reschedule. In a perfect world we would all have a weekly schedule that we stuck to. And we would all be genetically slim…
One more thing: As Leo says in tip #16, it really helps to have a workout buddy. Exercising with someone you know makes it easier. Time goes fast and you have more fun. But you should not rely on the presence of your workout buddy to get that exercise. You’re getting in shape for yourself, so don’t let anyone else dictate when to workout and when not to.
Other resources:
Exercise: How To Get Started
Fitness programs: 5 steps to getting started
Getting Started and Sticking with Exercise
Great points. KISS is definitely the way to go. One other thing though . . . know what you want to get out of your exercise, because it makes a difference. Do you want to improve you cardio-vascular system? Then lifting a bunch of weights isn’t going to help. If you just want to get stronger then pump that iron! But don’t expect that to give you a great looking body. If you want to look great (that’s me) then it takes the right combination of cardio (to burn fat) strength training (to gain muscle to burn more fat) and proper eating (diet if you prefer, to support your muscle gaining and fat burning efforts)
Once you know what you want, then make a 90 day committment to go “balls out” to get it done. Do your best not to intentionally check your progress along the way.
In 3 months you’ll be amazed at your result.
You’re right (as usual) but your advice does not work for everyone. A dad (that’s me) with a busy life can find it hard to go “balls out” for ninety days. Just eating right is a daily battle where I have to spend extra time cooking just for me. That’s not for everyone. The same goes for exercising. When giving advice for getting started, I focus on direction, not perfection. If a guy can push squeeze in 20-30 minutes exercise, where he peeks at 90 percent of maximum pulse, two or three times a week, that’s life enhancing (and prolonging) exercise. It really doesn’t matter if he lift weights or runs or play catch in the backyard or has sex.