The Best Way to Start a Daily Fitness Routine

When people first start working out, they usually start big. They try new exercises and want to do as much as possible. But after a week or two, they often quit because they designed a workout plan that relies on doing a lot in one session rather than doing a little bit each day. The key to a daily fitness practice is to do short workouts frequently enough that your body and mind start to depend on them. Once you make exercise a part of your daily routine, it becomes easier to make progress without even realizing it.

The best way to begin is to select a few full body exercises that don’t require a lot of equipment. A squat works your legs, a push up works your arms and chest, and a plank works your abs. Instead of trying to do a lot of reps, try to do just a few but focus on how it feels. Concentrate on your breathing, your balance, and the way your muscles feel as you lower yourself down and push back up. This will help you develop the movements as skills rather than just going through the motions.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they first start working out is pushing themselves too hard. They do as much as they can in the first few days and are too sore to work out the next day. You want to try and stop before you feel too tired. You should ask yourself after each rep if you feel like you can do another one. If the answer is yes, then do another one. But if you feel like you’re getting tired, then you should stop. Leaving a little bit in the tank will help you come back the next day.

You can do a short daily workout in as little as 15 minutes. Start with a few minutes of slow squats to loosen up your legs and get your balance going. Then do a few pushups at a steady pace, focusing on keeping your body in line rather than doing them as fast as you can. Then hold a plank for as long as you comfortably can while taking deep breaths. Rest for a minute or two, and then repeat the process, paying attention to whether or not the second set feels easier than the first.

The most important part of a daily fitness practice is doing it every day. Eventually you will notice that you can do a deeper squat and keep your balance better. You will notice that you can do more pushups and keep your body straight easier. You will notice that you can hold a plank longer without feeling like you’re dying. If you get bored or feel like you need a change, try slowing down or doing your exercises in a different order rather than stopping altogether. This will keep things interesting for your muscles and help you maintain the habit of working out daily.