Getting back into shape after a long period of laziness is hard to do, but since your life really does depend on it I would say it is worth the effort.
Before starting to work out make sure you get a full physical from your doctor and a letter stating it is ok for you to do physical activity.
Depending on how long it has been since you last did regular exercise it is recommended that you start off slow and gradually build up your workout to harder levels.
It is generally recommended to start off at the gym with just the treadmill and the lifecycle for the first week or 2. This is to wake the body and mind up and to slowly get you prepared for a harder workout. While that is a valid recommendation, I suggest that you get outside. 20-60 minutes of brisk walking outdoors will be much more refreshing and rewarding.
You will generally want to find a speed that is a pace you can keep up with little discomfort and do it for 20 minutes. After this take a 5 minute break, stretch a little, do some mobility exercises and have a drink of water. If you are up to it and have time, try to speed up the pace a bit and go for another 20 minutes.
Remember that pushing yourself too far is taking a gamble that you may not be able to live with. In a casino you can put everything you have on the roulette table and maybe you win and maybe you lose, but in the gym if you push too hard you will lose and can seriously hurt yourself, so take things slowly.
Many people make the mistake of getting back into an exercise program and going all gung ho an trying to get back in shape in just one hour, well let me tell you this will not work. The only thing this will do is make you very sore the next day and you will not be able to workout that day, and it will make you lose interest fast. If you get hurt or injured you won't be able to get in shape either.
Discomfort is ok pain is not.
Depending on how long it has been since you last worked out, I recommend working out 4 or 5 days a week. This may seem like a lot but we're talking about priorities here. Your health is the most important thing in your life. Why? Good health enables you do the other things you like and take care of who and what matters most.
So you can make some room in your schedule to do a little workout almost every day, right?
Remember, it's not about getting in shape in one hour, or doing a whole lot in one day. Frequency and consistency are more important that quantity or intensity. When it comes to your health, you need to get out of the instant gratification mentality. Getting in shape and staying healthy is a process, not an event. It's not a 3-week thing, or a 90-day thing, it is a lifestyle choice. That may sound daunting, but trust me, it is easier.
Working out 5 days a week does not necessarily mean you have to go to the gym every day. (remember brisk walks outside?)
I recommend going to the gym 2-3 times a week and the other two or three days you can just go for a long fast paced walk around your neighborhood.
A lot of professionals recommend varying your workouts from day to day. For example: upper body day and lower body day, or chest day and back day. While this mentality can work, I like a more full body approach.
If you are considering a strength building regimen (and you should be) it should contain the following components:
- A Push
- A Pull
- A Hinge
- A Squat
- A loaded carry
Can you do these things everyday? Yes. Should you? At this stage most likely. Can the components be completed with weights?--Yes, with body weight only?--Yes, with kettlebells?--um...yeah.
Variety for the sake of variety is not the point. The key is to have a balanced program that approaches the body, the system, as a whole. Understanding the system, means you must also take rest.
Your regimen might look something like this:
Monday - Strength Training
Tuesday - Walking
Wednesday - Strength Training
Thursday -- Rest
Friday -- Strength Training
Saturday -- Walking
Sunday -- Rest
At this stage, you might be wondering what are some examples of exercises from the previously mentioned "components". Well here you go!
Push:
- Bodyweight - Pushups
- Weights - Bench Press
- Kettlebells - Military Press
Pull
- Bodyweight -- Suspension Rows
- Weights - Bent over rows
- Kettlebells - Lawn Mower Rows
Hinge
- Bodyweight -- Shoulder bridges
- Weights -- Dead lifts
- Kettlebells - Two Hand Swings
Squat
- Bodyweight -- Air Squats
- Weights -- Barbell Back Squats
- Kettlebells -- Goblet Squats
Loaded Carry
- Bodyweight -- Crawling
- Weights - Farmers walks with barbells or dumbbells
- Kettlebells - The Turkish Get Up
