Some practical advice from someone who went from unfit to reasonably fit. I hope this can help someone.

Here are some useful tips from someone who didn't like working out to someone who now does it as part of my routine:

While you are getting started, don't worry about results, just commit to taking ACTION. that's all you need to do, commit to action. 3 x a week 45 min workouts. Build consistency and the results will come eventually.

Getting from unfit to fit will be uncomfortable, cos your body will be protesting this new discomfort. once you push past the initial discomfort which lasts a few months, workouts will be more fun.

Most people decide to get fit on jan 1, then do some workouts, find that their unfit body doesn't enjoy fitness, and then give up, and do it all over again next jan, never achieving what they want.


It might be rough, but you need to push through the initial months of discomfort to get to a point where you actually enjoys workouts. it will take time, but your body and mind will adapt to a new normal, and will eventually grow to like the workouts. Most people give up in the early stages of getting fit because they think that every workout will be painful and uncomfortable, that's not quite how it is, you just need to train your body to adapt to a new fitness lifestyle. commit to action rather than results and you will get to the place you want to be sooner or later. These things can take time.

Slow change is probably best, because that way you are building a new habit getting accustomed to a healthy lifestyle. If you try and lose a lot of weight quickly or make a huge sudden change, things tend to go wrong, and you will fall back to where you started because you have not built a new habit.

To break the initial fitness stress wall, commit for 4 months. Be regular. dont worry about sets and reps or weight,

just commit to working out for a certain number of hours a week. gym classes will help you do this. HIIT training works best for me. If you are new to fitness its probably best to go to a class, many places have a free or very cheap trial for week or 2, this way you can get fitness professionals to show you the ropes so you are not overwhelmed by the novelty of it all and lack of knowledge. They will make you feel welcome in the gym which is also very important for some people.

Take rests but time the rests and workout to a plan. The whole 45 min workout should have a plan for every second of the workout. the class instructors will help you do this.

Always keep a water bottle next to you and drink lots of water. Limiting water intake to occasional water breaks just adds more stress that doesn't help anything. Just drink often, however much you need to stay hydrated.

Its best to engage with the social aspect of workouts. The proverb is
“a road walked alone is twice as long”,
with fitness its 10x as long, and you may never reach anywhere alone.

This is something to do with friends, to motivate each other and encourage each other, enjoy the social aspect of working out. You can make new workout buddies at the gym classes if you don't know anyone who will go with you.


Avoid things that can get you injured. Injury will set you back, perhaps to the beginning. There's no need to lift giant weights or do 1 rep sets.

Occasionally you might see a bunch of dudes doing 1 rep max around a bench, increasing the weight until someone gets injured. This wont help you and will just ruin your body.

*Be mindful of how you feel the first 3 or so hours after a good workout. Think about how your body feels, feels relaxing, feels accomplished in a way.

learn to crave and need that feeling. That feeling is its own reward. The addiction to that post workout feeling will be what draws you back in the gym.*

There might be certain exercises you really hate. If that's whats stopping you going to the gym avoid them. There's no reason to let a few exercises ruin the whole fun of it. Maybe squats make you feel very dizzy and sick, that could be dangerous, if you really hate them, do something else instead.

Being fit and doing a workout every morning, even if only briefly, life feels different than being unfit, life is more relaxing and positive, its an incredible mood booster, always riding on the wave of continuing doses of activity and mini accomplishments, knowing you're doing something that's good for you, and maintaining your youth and energy levels the best you can.


let me know your thoughts, and Have fun! <3

Hugh Mungus

Comments

I so appreciate your taking the time and effort to post this. As a 64 year old I can tell you that it is very very wise advice. I have been so lucky to have happened upon a sport that I love some years ago (rowing) and so jumping into this as a serious vehicle for a long sustainable program has been key to providing the incentive. I am also a member of a team (virtual) with training partners (also virtual) to add that connection component...which is not experienced by me as positive and not a task master negative element. Rather then providing people to be 'accountable to' it is someone to have fun with...any shared experience in generally more pleasurable.

I will also note that the visible results lately have been SO rewarding. To have the level of definition at this moment and age is a turn on (treading perhaps dangerously close to narcissism and or self centeredness) it feel like I am moving ever closer to being the best version of myself I can be at this age.

And one more thing. FOOD. My choices in this area have increased the success...by being conscious of what I am putting into my body. I will say no more about that as it is a treatise best left to others more knowledgable than I am about nutrition. And yet I feel it is important to point out that it is an essential part of a realistic and achievable plan.

I have written elsewhere on some of this (see my blogs): I no longer view discipline in the scary way I did as a youth...a downer, a drag, a fun-killer. It is a way of moving through the world responsibly. I have the freedom to make some of the rules, and then get to stick to them when I develop the muscle of discipline. You allude to this at length of course which is so important...sticking to whatever one plan is when the going gets rough...Just do it....even if you suck.
 
Thanks to Hugh and Massey for the good advice, I used to be in good shape until my late 30s. Now, being almost in my mid 50s, I'm finding my physical shape is deteriorating combined with a dropping testosterone level in the last few years, this combination plus the pandemic, has been very difficult to come up with some sort of work out plan, to try and recover my fitness level. I enjoy solitary sports like biking, jogging . I think one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is when I do a physical thing, like biking or jogging, is the level of exhaustion and aches at the end. It definitely turns me off doing more. What's your suggestions to overcome the pain and see it through for the first 3 months. Have either of you had to deal with dropping testosterone levels? If so, did you come up with any natural solutions? (Not testosterone replacement therapy) thanks.
 
@Coronahead Perhaps Hugh can weigh in on this. I think getting some expert advice for yourself is warranted.

It is really hard to give any sound advice on the limited info you describe...and I am just a dude and can only speak from my own experience. I did not go from 0-100mph with my sport. I started slowly. But I chose it in part because my previous sport (long distance running) was becoming too demanding. I was worried about the high impact, and my having a few non serious but annoying injuries.

I still hike/walk a lot as well as row. The walking is incredibly easy on my body.

Basically you need to determine your current limits and work within those...knowing that it is possible (if not likely) that with some time you will see those limits change.
 
@Coronahead @Massey56. absolutely, good advice, thanks for the feedback, and for all the comments.

Rowing.. that sounds awesome i might look into that. Do you have a rowing machine which is internet connected and you row with other people in a virtual environment or something?
that sounds really fun. imagine combining that with virtual reality or some kind of social gaming experience!

On my blood test my testosterone was pretty much right in the middle of normal range. so for energy and fitness Ive started taking zinc supplements to see if that boosts it, i heard it does, i will find out.
Also apparently red light improves hormones, see my gallery to see my red light, im giving that a try, look up "red light testosterone" on google, it might help, tho im not very sure.

If my hormone levels stars dropping below this, and probably will with age, i might take some kind of action to get my hormones
to how they were when i was 20. i dont know how expensive that will be, but i do want to retain my youth and energy as much as possible.
In the event that i consider taking hormones, i would talk to a specialist. putting chems in your body carries risks, but so does the ageing process obviously.
if i were to do nothing we already know the health result of that as the years go by.

Your pains - first of all talk to a doctor and get advice from them, i cant tell you to push through the pain cos it might be a hazard to your health if your body is trying to tell you about an injury or something,
you doctor can figure out the best workout ideas for your body, cos i dont have the knowledge to tell you whats going on with you.

As for overcoming challenges, big tasks can seem impossible and you procrastinate and never start them,
so instead of aiming to do one big task, break the task down into as many little tasks as you feel is manageable.
start by going for a walk. if that improves your energy levels, do 5 press ups. (it can be 1 if you want).
ok now youve done that, you get the confidence just do another 5 and so on.
like building a huge complex machine you build one little part at a time. complicated and difficult tasks need to be broken down into small manageable pieces.

one thing i like to to is plank exercise (abs workout) for as long as i can, and each day try to hold the plank position for an extra few seconds, and hopefully get better over time, and build deez abz!!
 
@Hugh_Mungus Yes! I have a Concept2 with a PM5 monitor which has a Bluetooth so connected to all other PM5 machines! Uploads detailed performance records on each workout to my online log and I can join global challenges etc. I also have an actual single shell boat for open water rowing....I am very lucky.
 
thats epic, i might actually get into that. im not really near any ocean tho, but id love to row in the water that sounds fun.
 

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