When it comes to starting a workout for the first time, you don’t want to go 0 to 100 right away. This can certainly backfire with the worst-case scenario being that you injure yourself. When it comes to working out for your heart health, the American Heart Association says that starting off slow and then steadily picking up the pace wins the race.
5 Steps to Starting a New Workout Without Getting Ahead of Yourself
Always Warm-up First
Heart experts suggest warming up slowly is the best. We are probably all guilty of not warming up before a workout every time, but it is a very important part of the workout. For those, starting from scratch your warm-up shouldn’t be more than just a walk. As you get going, you can start picking up your pace to a faster-paced walk.
No Incline or Uneven Surfaces
There is no need to make your workout any more difficult than it is already going to be. Start the first couple of months of the workout on flat even surfaces.
Start Small
It is not necessary to spend an hour working out when you are first starting off. You can start really as small as 5 minutes for it to make a difference. We suggest starting your workouts first with no more than 15 minutes if you can handle it and then build your way up to more time.
Bodyweight
Bodyweight exercises are the best way to start out. It is important to learn the fundamentals and get the form down before even starting to add any weight. Plus, even the fittest athletes benefit from bodyweight exercises… so don’t think this is going to be too easy.
Always Cooldown
Just like the importance of warming up, you should also always cooldown. You shouldn’t just stop after your workout. You want to allow your heart to gradually cool down just like you want it to gradually warm-up.
