Where do I start?

[User17273637373]

I’m sure there are a lot of these threads so apologies if I’m repeating.

I’m looking to start exercising with a proper routine. I really want to tone up, improve cardio and my general health and mental health. And I really want a realistic schedule that I will stick to and enjoy rather than dread!

Can anyone recommend any ways to get into it? I’m pretty shy and my fitness level currently feels like a 0 so not sure I’d be ready to do classes etc with others just yet. I did couch to 5k a few years ago and found running in public a bit embarrassing too. I know it’s all irrational but my self confidence is very low right now.

For context, I live in a one bedroom flat so don’t have a lot of room for certain home work outs. I work full time in an office role mostly wfh - try to at least go out for a walk daily, but my hours can be quite long. No kids and no pets.

If you have any routines that work for you and you enjoy please share!

Thank you

do you work a regular schedule or shifts?

Does "shy" mean you don't want group activity (like fitness classes)?

Do you have firm budget limits?

@lljkk My hours are meant to be 9-5:30 roughly (can do flexi time) but I normally I end up working longer hours and not finishing until a bit later.

Re group activities - I feel like I’m not ready for something in a group until I know I at least have some level of fitness behind me so I can keep up. I think I wouldn’t be as shy knowing I wasn’t a total beginner.

Re budget - I could spend some money on classes/join a gym eventually but nothing too pricey (hard when I am in London!). I’m trying to save to buy a flat so if it’s a cheap/free activity then it would be better for me! At the same time though, I know I need to start prioritising my health so can compromise!

Is there a gym near you that you could join? They all have personal trainers who would work out a plan for you based on your goals, although this would be an additional cost to the monthly subscription. You wouldn't have to meet every time you went to the gym, maybe once or twice a month would be ok for you, or even just a one-off.
I know you said you don't like exercising in public, but I would really recommend the NHS couch to 5k. You can listen to your own music, a radio station or podcast and the trainer's voice will interrupt to tell you when to stop/start and encourage you. Try to develop a thicker skin - if anyone makes an adverse comment that says much more about them than about you. Ignore it, most people aren't thinking anything other than good for you and you are doing something amazing which will have a positive effect on every part of your life.

Also, are there any military fitness classes in parks near you? I know this would be a class, but they divide people into different levels so you are not all exercising at the same intensity and there are always people who have next to no fitness because of illness, weight issues etc. If you went a couple of times a week your fitness level would increase so quickly and there is a good team spirit of inclusion and encourgagement.

Swimming is usually about £5.50/session. Go to open session at first, can try lanes later. Aqua-aerobics is very popular where I am and nobody cares what you're doing (half of it is under water out of sigh, anyway).

A lot of people like Kettle Workouts they can do at home first thing, 20 minutes and done.

You could consider some social walking or cycling clubs.

I do all my exercise at home. If you look on you tube there are loads of trainers, Joe Wickes is pretty good, he has absolute beginner stuff that doesn't need any equipment and gets progressively harder. I generally get up and do 30/40 minutes 5 times a week before work.

I've just read about not having much space for home workouts but I'd still check out Joe, he has a series of workouts that are done in a hotel room just to show how little space is needed.

For cardio I would recommend downloading couch to 5k App (free). I hadn't done any exercise for YEARS and it got me running, Once you can run 5k, you can get into Parkrun (also free) and that's a nice, sociable weekly run.

Good for you OP, everyone starts somewhere

So “toning up” really means “building muscle and dropping fat”. The best way to do this is to lift weight - body weight exercises are great and you can add in fast paced walking which is a great fat burner.

I’d check out Joe Wicks in the first instance - most of his workouts only need a very small space and he is very beginner friendly. He has some videos on his channel for ultimate beginners and they’re about 15 mins in length so really not intimidating.

Whatever exercise you chose I’d get a tracker of some description. So an Apple Watch for example. The Apple Watch tracks all your movement, your heart rate, your vo2 max, your general progress and gives you daily targets to try and keep up with,

It really really helps in becoming accountable and seeing your progress.

Well done OP for asking. In your shoes, I would do two things straight away. Firstly, I would start adding some speed to the walks so I get out breath and/or walk faster up hills. The key thing is to raise your heart rate.

The second thing I would do is go down to my local leisure centre or gym and make an appointment with a personal trainer. They will be able to suggest an effective and safe way for your to get fit. It doesn't cost the earth and crucially it will work. If you know anyone who is already a member, try to find out which PT they think you would like best.

Thanks all so much for your advise! Already feeling more encouraged to start doing something. Will have a look at the Joe W workouts.

Interesting point about walking faster, I’m already a pretty speedy walker so maybe my fitness won’t be AS bad as I thought!!

I’ve got a Fitbit already (I bought it to track steps) so will look more into the features and setting that up properly.

DP has a personal trainer at our local gym and the cost is ridiculous! We were talking today about maybe me having a few sessions with this PT though, to get me going and into a routine. I opened up to DP about feeling really self conscious about stepping foot into a gym and he said he felt exactly the same when he first joined so maybe it’s not just me and I need to be brave!

I also used to play tennis - DP and I have decided we will find some courts locally to start playing together. Would love to get back into it!

check if there is a tennis club near you OP. Now is off-season but generally they do special deals.

I do most my workouts from YouTube videos, I've been doing 3 a week for a couple weeks and I can already feel like I keeping up with them more. Definitely going to join a class very soon :)

Good for you, OP. I do understand about feeling self conscious but honestly, get stuck in if you can. You will be so pleased you did. Try a few classes, try some PT - so much more efficient as a beginner than workouts out on your own, and the structure means you commit. I do a weekly park bootcamp that is great, cheap and has people at all fitness levels egging each other on (it and similar are on MeetUp as they are at least partly social). I think people always imagine everyone else is super fit but they aren't. If you can have an intro with the PT at the leisure centre, ask them if there are classes they can recommend - some may be aimed at people getting back after injuries, babies or just starting out, and you learn good form then. Running is great but it is hard and I think people get put off - they are easier, effective ways to start. Playing tennis together sounds great! Go for it, try different things (safely), be friendly and if people are not in return, then try something else.

I think you'll find, once you're actually in a gym, that no-one is remotely interested in you! They're all just focused on what they're doing (or in the case of a lot of the men in the weights area, what they look like in the mirror!)

Good idea to have a session with your DH's PT - they can help you work out a routine. Not all gyms are expensive these days - even in London! Places like Pure Gym are much cheaper, as well as being open 24 hours.

Brilliant that you're keen to do this! Well done for that first of all. I really like the Good Body Project on YouTube. They have free workouts for a range of fitness - 25-45 mins so easy to fit in. It is worth trying a few online providers to see whose style you like (or to keep mixing things up). I love Adriene Yoga too for days I am stiff or tired.
As you already walk, can you add hills - that's great for building cardio and also will make you use your abs to keep balance.
Maybe aim for a daily brisk walk, two online csrdio class and one yoga? So not too much that you'll feel under pressure but enough for routine to develop.

The other important thing I'd say is to find something that you like doing. You're far more likely to stick at something you enjoy. I know, having tried very, very hard, that I hate running, and I''m never going to do it again!

For home workouts in a small space, Mr Motivator and walking workouts (Fit with Rick, Leslie Sansome) are good (youtube).
They have short videos that are good for doing it little and often.

Sometimes a proper plan is overrated if you are just getting started - sometimes all you need is to do something then the rest will begin to fall into place. Find a workout on YouTube and do it once. Then try a different one a few days later. And so on until you find stuff you like. Then, once it's a routine, you can make proper long term goals.

I certainly recommend finding something that you enjoy. I actually hate the gym with a passion, I find it very boring. I don’t like running for the sake of running either.
However, I’ve recently (as in, the last two years) discovered that I love horse riding, kayaking and orienteering. We as a family also love a bit of geocaching if it’s a route we can walk around (not much point if it’s the park and cache variety).
Because I enjoy all these types of exercise I don’t feel it’s a slog. I’m starting to think I might have to do more trail running though between orienteering courses as my running fitness lets me down a bit at the moment…

When I was trying to do the PT / joe wicks type stuff I was always making up excuses why I couldn’t do it (my back hurts / I’ve a bit of a cold)

Stepping into a gym first time for me was scary, but once you’ve done that it gets easier.

If your partner has a PT, would you be able to tag along with them (without the PT) so they can show you some exercise techniques? Even practising at home without weights to get the form right for deadlifts etc. Staff at gyms can show you how to use machines as well.

I’ve found people are focussed on their exercise so don’t pay attention to others.

The gym I go to has an app where you can check how busy it is before you go, I like it when it’s quieter.

Good luck!

The trick is to find something you enjoy and don't dread. I subscribe to Frame 'on demand' classes - they have lots that require very little space such as barre and dance classes. It's £28 per quarter which is enough to make me feel the need to do classes and not waste my money, but is doable for me. I found that once I'd got into the habit of doing the classes I became fit enough to enjoy running too.

Can t out request a standing desk at work?

Have a look at Anna of growingannanas. She has lots of different options, you can choose 20-30 min workouts or go for her month long ones.

www.youtube.com/c/growingannanas/playlists

There is also Caroline Girvan, there is a really good thread on this in Exercise - www.youtube.com/c/CarolineGirvan/playlists

i find both these really motivating. They also don't talk at all during the workouts!