Starting a workout routine can be intimidating. If you’re searching the internet for tips, you’ll find a lot of do’s and don’ts, so we’ve compiled a list of the 5 best tips.

First, bravo! Great job making the decision to make the lifestyle change for a healthier mind, body, and spirit! Here are some tips to get you started.

Easy Does It

Don’t jump right into exercising 7 days a week. You’ll become overwhelmed and loose motivation. Most experts say you should start out with 2 or 3 days a week at 30 minutes per session. Once you’ve gotten used to that you can then gradually work your way up to the more hardcore workouts. So, start with 30 minutes of cardio 2/3 times a week and strength training once a week. Once that becomes an integral part of your daily routine you can start hitting the gym more.

Warm Up and Stretch

Always, always, always warm up before you start. Take your body through basic movements to loosen up and stretch your muscles. Doing so will help you avoid injuries and ensure you body performs at an optimum level.

Don’t Follow the Same Set of Exercises

Don’t stick to the same set of exercises every day. It’s a common mistake and will make you bored and loose motivation. Make sure you mix it up and alternate between the 3 main types of exercises: aerobic, anaerobic, and flexibility.

Aerobic exercises require the use of oxygen to fuel the body for exercises demands. This typically includes running, cycling, dancing. Anaerobic exercise requires glucose for short intense workloads. Examples of anaerobic exercises include strength training and sprinting.

Weight Training

When you start weight training you can really do it anywhere! There are tons of YouTube videos with basic exercise band workouts to start your weight training journey.

Dumbbells are another great way to introduce weight training. Dumbbells are far less intimidating than barbells and add additional stabilization and point out muscle imbalances pretty easily.

If you wish to start with a little more intensity, then barbells are the way to go. If your goal is strength above all else, then barbells might be the way to start. You can add small increments of weight each week.

Give your body adequate recovery time

Make your you’re taking breaks periodically. You’ve probably heard the saying ‘No pain, no gain’ so if you find your body hurting during the initial stages after you start working out, well that’s a good sign. But, don’t make the mistake of pushing yourself too far while not giving your body adequate time to recover.

Also, avoid taking painkillers, they only mask the pain. You want your body to recover naturally.

If you don’t give your body time to heal and repair itself then you’ll set yourself up for failure. You’ll end up in a vicious cycle where your performance decreases and you never fully recover.

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This article was written using content from Tom Spencer