How to start exercising after decades of inactivity
I have been a sofa athlete for over 30 years and wondered why my body wasn’t in the same shape as the athletes I was watching doing their thing on TV.
And then it hit me. I was lazy.
You can’t build a good-looking body by doing nothing, but the pounds will pile on if you just sit around. This is something obvious which we completely ignore.
As with anything, the best way to get anything done is to just start. The quicker you start, the quicker you’ll finish.
And repetition.
The more you do something, the quicker it feels more a part of your daily routine than a chore. And that is the secret.
Set a routine for yourself.
The minute I walk into my home after work, I get on the Wattbike and do my 30 minutes per day or whatever is required in the training program I am following. This has become so much of a routine now I actually feel ‘lost’ when I am travelling and don’t have access to the Wattbike. Then a little weight training is on the menu. But my body must move every day. Irrespective of how.
There are days where I don’t feel like exercising because of a tough day at work, but I push myself to do it. On these days I may not exercise the minute I get home, but a few hours later.
What you need to do is get all the gadgets that go along with the exercise, as data makes it easier to keep track of your progress. Here we are talking about a Heart Rate Monitor, a GPS and the relevant software to record all the data. I didn’t realise how addictive keeping a track of your data can become. Luckily, the relevant apps take care of this for us.
Again, finding an accountability buddy is a good idea as well. Send proof of your exercise to them daily or a weekly summary to keep you on track. Or have the apps send the info to you.
The most important thing to do is move that body, and not just from the sofa to the fridge.
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