Tomorrow I'm going to start exercising, what should I do?

[cheeseisthebest]

I hate exercise but I need to do it for my mental health, I'm low and lethargic.
I never know what to do though, any suggestions?
I have some light weights.
I just need to get over the mental hurdle of feeling really silly and self conscious.

Well what do you like?

The best exercise is the one you do. You could lift weights - and that's v good for you - but what's the point if it's unsustainable? You can run, dance, cycle, walk, rollerskate, garden, hike, do home workout DVDs, martial arts, climbing and so on.

How old and how fit are you? What do you like doing? How much time do you have? What are you aiming for?

Grow With Jo on YouTube is fun, got me back into exercise after 3 years of being a sedentary depressed mess! She has a beginner playlist if you've been out of it for a while. Best of all she doesn't talk incessantly and the music is motivating.

Hideously unfit.
Age 43
Don't like anything really!

Download the FitOn app, so many workouts, lots of different interests levels, focus areas, instructors. Hard to not find something you like. Lots that are 10-15 minute workouts too so fairly easy to fit in

You've just described me to a tee so watching with interest 😆

I have a 60 day peloton app trial code if you want that? There is yoga, body weight stuff, walking with audio etc on it
Just cancel before 60 days and they don't charge

Yes please!

You could simply move more for a start. So every time you need to go upstairs to get something, do it twice or similar. Walk to the local shop instead of drive. Yoga?

As a fellow hideously unfit person, I'm a fan of a walk with music. I am now at the point where I go to the gym most days and I will do weights or an elliptical thing that's somewhere in the middle of a cross trainer and running. I make little challenges for myself and watch training videos for a bit of motivation. I want to look like them...

It's a marathon not a sprint and all that but it can be bloody boring.

My point with the first part is that if you just move more, you're more active and burn more calories but not seeing it as a chore or a 30-60 minute nightmare that you'll avoid.

I did also use paragraphs but something is going on with MN.

I’d suggest Couch to 5Km app. It has totally transformed my view of exercise. I was never overweight but I never exercised for fun either and in fact rarely did any exercise. I’m just out of the shower after running 5k and I’ve never been fitter. 43 and feeling good.

Here you go
You can stream it to your TV (I use a chrome cast) or put it on an iPad etc

https://www.onepeloton.co.uk/digital/checkout/digital-gp-60d?utmsource=iosapp&utmmedium=inapp&code=033c4bd24c654dd0aca8d2225cb548d6&locale=en-GB

Filter by instructor/time/music etc. There are barre classes under strength and are about 10 mins but don't be fooled as they make your bum burn! The audio walks are good

Thank you, no local shop unfortunately as I live in the middle of nowhere but good ideas. Stairs are definitely good
Yep it's very boring isn't it.
I am going to learn to horseride soon so that is my motivation to get fitter. I can't afford it but I'm doing it anyway. So excited and also nervous!

The best thing would be to start today.

That way you know if you’re committed to doing it and won’t feel bad about yourself if you don’t start tomorrow.
If you start today you’ll keep it up……..

Get up and go for a walk. I find walking early in the morning is the best thing, you then haven’t got time to talk yourself out of it. I walk at least 5k a day, usually early in the morning. I know some people find it really boring but I love it.

Put on your shoes.

Seriously. Decide tonight what shoes you're going to wear to leave the house and exercise in. Put them on tomorrow at the time you've identified as exercise time - you'll feel daft wearing the exercise shoes without exercise. Then leave the house - it doesn't matter when you do as long as you're not sitting.

May have come from a book by BJ fogg called tiny habits. Also suggested doing three press ups each time you pee. That's manageable, right? Next week make it five.

good luck.

Also get past the bit where you feel shit because you are unfit/collapsed in a heap and think I can't do this
End of feb I got my peloton and did a 10 min ride and yeah, got my arse handed to me about how unfit I was! Yesterday I did a 60 min class
My 20 min recovery ride today was the same effort/output as the first normal 20 min class I did
It builds quickly

1. Get a really supportive sports bra
2. Download C25K app and give it a go
3. Celebrate small achievements- I started off thinking "yes I did 3k BUT X is running marathons", wrong attitude.

By coincidence, I'm starting to do some kind of regular exercise tomorrow too! (Apart from walking to the shops, which isn't a lot & is fairly irregular TBH.) I'm 41.
Am planning to do Switch ringfit, another Switch fitness game I've got, & swimming. Will aim to do one proper activity each day, assuming I feel well, which I don't always due to chronic illness. Will still be keeping up with walking when I can. Also going to try to regain some flexibility via yoga type stretches, I used to be very bendy, not any more.

I was going to join the gym but, it's too expensive & I suspect I'll feel guilty for not using it enough, & wasting money.

Go for a walk or a swim. I hope you enjoy it

Download some podcasts, put some trainers on and get out for a walk. I try to walk for at least half an hour a day whatever the weather. It’s one of the best things for my mental health, it’s free and accessible to everyone.

Thank you!

I'm currently attempting 20k steps daily. I've done a little bit of reading about the benefits and it seems like a good starting point. I've worked out it should burn about 850 calories so I will hopefully loss the extra weight and hopefully it will give me the energy to try some extra exercise some I get into it

So am I op. I've found some videos on YouTube that seem like they would be good. I've not excerpted for many years

Workout*