How to Start An Exercise Routine, for Beginners

Start an Exercise Routine – it is so important!

Did you know when you start an exercise routine, you’re among those who get to live a longer life? Yes, it’s true. If you work out, you live longer.

I’ve been a health coach for over 7 years of experience helping myself and others, and I know that exercising can be hard to get into, yet a habit that is so worth it. 21 Days of doing something makes a habit, so I challenge you to incorporate some of these strategies for your own routine.

1. Find your “Why” for to Start an Exercise Routine

Why are you deciding to make this change? Find out your motivation behind each workout. Write it down or print it out next to your workout space. Put in on a sticky note in the mirror. Think about this each time you’re not sure why you’re working out.

Consider:

1. To lose weight and feel great.
2. To feel better and be healthier.
3. To have more energy in the day.
4. To be healthy and energetic enough to spend more time with your kids or family.
5. For a better sex life.
6. To feel good when you’re walking around the beach on your next vacation.
7. To gain self confidence that you can do anything.
8. To be a good role model for your children and anyone else in your life.

2. To Start an Exercise Routine, Find Who You Look Up To

Who is the person that inspires you in the health and fitness world? Maybe you like their energy, their body, their ability to keep going and motivate you with workouts or yoga. They can be more on the famous end, or maybe they are your friends right next to you.

For some starting examples, my Yoga Inspirations are my yoga teachers Kino MacGregor and Tara Stiles. My workout inspirations are Shaun T, Jericho Matthews, Elise Joan, and Andrea Rogers.

When you find out who you look up to as a healthy and fit person, post their picture up on your wall in your office or bathroom. Make them the background of your phone screen.

But the trick is, when you look at that picture, you want to feel happy and inspired. You don’t want to feel the opposite of that. You don’t want to think negative thoughts about yourself and your body every time you look at that picture. Instead, you want to reprogram your mind. “I can share the energy of my role model. I will look different, because every body is different, but I am becoming my best and most fit self.”

Workout or do exercise with your role model as often as you can, soaking in the good vibes. Your role model probably speaks on a podcast or YouTube that you can indulge in their videos and wise words. Be inspired! This will help you to start an exercise routine, and then keep going.

Kino MacGregor, pictured below.

3. Put on Cute Work Out Clothes

This is the fun part of starting an exercise routine. Dress yourself up looking cute in some yoga pants, or maybe a motivating workout tee. Get some nice shoes good for cardio. Basically, you look nice, you feel nice.

And maybe you don’t feel good in your clothes just yet. Maybe you’re self conscious and just want to lose weight already (If you’re here for weight loss).

But part of the practice is learning to enjoy your body the way you are now. You want something in the future, but try to breathe into the present moment and just be here. Look forward to the day when you can buy the work out clothes in a smaller size, and celebrate every step along the way.

But for now, be grateful for your body and its ability to move. Feel the gratitude in your heart that you’re starting this routine. You’re doing this for yourself, and maybe for your family and friends, so that you can live a better life with them.

I do sell cute and sustainable athleisure wear that I love, so if you were interested in browsing, have a go!

3. Pre-Workout Yummy and Healthy

Let’s start an exercise routine the right way. Get some motivating pre-workout energy drink!

For me, drinking my pre-workout energy drink prepares my body to exercise, in a clean way. This is me getting ready and pumped. Yes, this has caffeine in it, but this drink makes you feel so much better than if you just drank coffee. I love coffee, but this does not have the same effect at all. It’s so much better.

So, I know I have to get my workout done, right? And maybe I don’t want to move my body just yet. That’s normal. I know how it is feeling like the body is sluggish. But the pre-workout energy drink is so yummy, it tastes like lemonade, but I know it’s so healthy for me. And best of all, with one sip, my energy is all revved up!

That’s why this is also motivating for the times I don’t feel like moving.

4. Commit to 5 Minutes of Exercise to Start

This is the time we “press play.” Maybe you go to the gym with a friend, or maybe you’re in your home with your baby like me, able to stream 100+ kinds of workouts at the press of a button.

I love to pick my workout for the day with my baby in my arms. Then, I’ll place him in his walker or beside me on the mat as I work out.

Consider the kind of exercise that you may like, or think you’ll enjoy. Pick one that you believe you can get results from. Maybe you love yoga, boxing, dance, barre, cardio, HIIT, weight lifting or bodyweight workouts. Choose the length of the program you think you can commit to.

Through these 7 years, I’ve gone through many workout programs, and different ones called out to me at different times. When I started working out again post-partum, there were these short “5-ers” of 5-minute workouts that I started with. The baby beside me, I see if he let me do 5 minutes worth. Then I added on more time if he let me do more. Maybe you can commit to 20 minutes of work and find a 20-minute program (there are plenty of excellent fun weight-loss programs that only run 20 min or less) or maybe 30.

In today’s tech world, you can get any workout you choose in any category at the press of a button. With my streaming service, live workouts are also available to join in the fun. If you can join a live one, that’s t he most motivating experience of all. On this diverse streaming platform, if you choose, you can even go live to show up on the screen with the fitness instructor able to watch you and speak to you.

During the workout, sure to stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water and perhaps try my healthy extra hydration drink. I love this and have it every workout. Yum!

Barre workout with baby, below!

5. Sweet Post-Workout Time

Celebrate yourself! You did it!

Feel into your body – sweaty, breathing harder, but feeling pumped with new life and energy. This post-workout high is uplifting, and you’ll want to keep coming back for more. Truly imprint this feeling in your mind so that tomorrow, you can return. Even if you don’t feel like working out at the time, you know your body will feel on top of the world after.

After I finish my workout, feeling accomplished and sweaty, I’ll make myself a chocolate drink that tastes like chocolate milk. It’s a healthy protein drink that tastes so divine and helps my muscles recover from the workout. Protein is so important for health and weight loss and necessary to prioritize in every meal. Just shake up that powder with water and ice real fast and move on to the next part of your day.

My next personal sweet post-workout step is to listen to one of my Mindset Programs or Meditations that’s also attached to my workout program app. It keeps me calm, healthy and happy having a strong mentality. Try it for yourself!

Keep Coming Back.

Try your new exercise routine 21 days to form your new, healthy habit. When you want to give up, don’t. If you’re sick, take the day off but get right back to it.

If you find it hard to lose weight or you hit plateaus, remember that weight loss also needs a calorie deficit. The healthy products in this article can help with that as you’ll feel full of fuel and nutrition. Try My Healthy Shake as a nutrient-dense protein meal replacement to reinforce your health journey.

Check out my article on all of the ingredients and health benefits to My Healthy Shake. I have another article on my 5 Top Tips for Weight Loss if you’re interested in checking that one out next.

And remember, you are way healthier as you keep going, growing your longevity, even if you never lose another pound. You can do this!

Grab the Health products that called out to you today!

For more info on the products, click the link.

Fitness Program with Mindset & Nutrition Help

My Healthy Shake

Pre-Workout Energy

Healthy & Sweet Hydration

Post-Workout Protein Recovery

Sweet and Savvy Athleisure Wear.

~Sarah Van Buskirk (AKA Celestial K.)