When you are trying to lose weight, the two most important factors for you to consider is diet and exercise. In our previous blog, we discussed how to choose the right diet plan to follow for your weight-loss journey. In this blog, we will go over factors to consider when you are choosing which exercise routine to adopt.
Your personality
First, you have to think about what kind of workout fits your personality. If you are more extroverted, you may find that working out with others is key to your fitness success. Fitness classes would be excellent for you. There are a wide variety of types of fitness classes, from yoga to spinning to HIIT workouts to Zumba. Try joining a gym that offers workout classes, or see if your local community center offers any. Alternatively, if you would rather just hit the treadmill and lift some weights, you could always find yourself a gym buddy to hold you accountable and keep you exercising regularly.
On the other hand, if you are more introverted, you may prefer working out alone. In that case, you may preferring running in the morning, when there are fewer people out. You might also try exercise DVDs to do by yourself at home. There are countless numbers of workout videos on the internet; do some research and try some out to find which is best for you.
Your lifestyle
When choosing a workout routine, you also need to think about your lifestyle. Many people don’t work out because they say they are “too busy.” However, the issue is that they are too busy for exercise; it’s that they don’t prioritize it. If you spared ten minutes of your day, three times a day, to fit in quick aerobic activity, you can reap the weight-loss benefits of exercise. When you are choosing what workout routine to follow, consider when and how much time you are willing to give per day. Consider whether it would be better to wake up early and workout first thing, a lunchtime/mid-afternoon workout fits into your schedule, or if you would rather workout in the evening. Considering your lifestyle and routine will make it easier to determine what your exercise routine should look like.
Your fitness level
It’s important to make sure that your workout routine matches your fitness level. If you are just starting to workout for the first time, you want to take it slow to prevent burnout. If you jump right into doing Crossfit five times a week, you are going to feel discouraged, and you may even hurt yourself. Instead, gradually work yourself up to more intense exercise. You may try working out twice a week, then slowly adding more workouts in every week. Alternatively, you could take a brisk walk every day, and slowly walk for longer and longer periods of time.
On the flip side, if you are already relatively physically fit and have just fallen out of a regular routine, make sure you are challenging yourself. If your workout is too easy, you will get quickly get bored and you will plateau with your fitness goals. If you find that your workout is getting too easy for you, try something new. For example, if you have been finding yourself yawning during your run, try hitting a new fitness class instead.
Know your excuses
Once you have figured out an exercise that meets your personality, lifestyle, and fitness level, it’s important to also address the issue of motivation. In all likelihood, you do not have an established exercise routine right now because you have one excuse or another. It’s easy to make excuses to get out of working out, so know what your go-to excuses are now so you are prepared to battle them in the future. Here are some common reasons why people choose not to work out, and what you can do to get around them.
You hate the gym
Some people detest the gym, and if you hate the gym, you can’t workout, right? Wrong! The thing about exercise is that it can be done anywhere if you are creative about it! If you feel uncomfortable with the gym-rat crowd, try different forms of exercise. For example, when the weather is nice, you can go for a bike ride, take a walk, or go for a hike. You can also do body-weight exercises literally anywhere! For example, you could do push-ups, crunches, planks, or squats. Alternatively, you could try joining an adult recreational sports league as a fun way to exercise and socialize with others. You can find one pretty much anywhere, and they offer everything from ultimate frisbee to kickball.
You don’t know what you are doing
Many people choose not to exercise simply because they aren’t sure how to and feel embarrassed about it. Fortunately, there is an easy solution to that: learn! You may consider hiring a personal trainer if you are worried about your knowledge and skill level for working out. A personal trainer can be an invaluable resource to you during your weight-loss journey. If paying for a personal trainer is out of your budget, you may try partnering with a friend, or going to a group fitness class instead.
You need tough love
For some people, it’s hard to go to the gym because they simply don’t have the motivation. If you are someone who feels motivated by someone else yelling at you, a boot camp class is the way to go. This military-style class has become quite popular over the last few years, and range in intensity, but in general, they offer instruction in a group class setting. This is an added motivating factor; you can use peer pressure and competition to motivate yourself to keep pushing yourself so you can maximize the benefits of your workout.
You can’t afford to work out
Working out doesn’t mean you have to spend money on an expensive gym membership. As said above, you can exercise anywhere, at any time. You can easily do body-weight exercise in the park, on the beach, or in your home. If you have the space, you can even create a home gym for relatively inexpensively. Investing in a few pieces of equipment, such as a dumbbells, a stability ball, and some resistance bands. Check out the internet for instructional videos on how to use all the equipment. Additionally, instead of hitting the gym, look into the fees at your local recreation center. They are often less expensive than gyms while also offering fitness classes and equipment.
At Men’s Vitality Center, we offer a medical weight loss management program as one of our men’s health services. If you need to lose weight, we can help. Contact us to learn more about our men’s health clinic.