7 Exercise Tips for Beginners

Welcome back everyone!

I know I’ve been on a rather long hiatus but with Easter and a growth spurt, we’ve been pretty busy around here.

Little L’s first Easter was great! He did so well during the 2.5 hour Easter Church Vigil. Pretty much slept the entire time. Then most of his grandparents came over on Easter Sunday. He definitely made out this year.

So although Easter was wonderful, T got laid off from his welding job. This happens at least once a year but this time it doesn’t sound good. So we have been in the process of figuring out what to do now. Our area just doesn’t have any jobs anymore and the ones that are around here pay very little.

My college roommate live a little farther north than us and her and her fiancé have pretty good jobs so we spent this past weekend with them so T could interview. It’s a machinist shop whereas T is a welder but the government will pay for him to learn a new trade. We also looked around at houses for sale in the area and I found the perfect house! (At least for me) 3.5 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, appliances, 2 stall garage, fenced in back yard. It looked wonderful! Come to find out that it’s already under contract so no go on that one.

But we’re still looking/deciding. I’ll keep everyone updated as more decisions are made.

Now if you’re like me I love lists. There’s just something about them. So for today’s post, I am doing a list on exercising tips for beginners. Or for mommies that have taken a break because of baby. *cough cough* me.

7 Exercise Tips for Beginners:

1.   Eat breakfast!

 Seriously. Not only does it help you lose weight in the long run, but it gives you the energy to start exercising. Meals/snacks are important throughout the day but breakfast is the most important.

Some breakfasts that I enjoy:

·        2 egg omelet with fresh mushrooms, green peppers, Sriracha, and cheese. This is also 21 Day Fix approved!

·        Homemade oatmeal with vanilla extract, milk, and frozen fruit. This helps with milk production if you are a nursing mom or just yummy if you’re not.

·        Scramblers. Yum yum yum. Eggs, potatoes, bacon, veggies, and cheese. Not the healthiest but T loves it and some days you just need a yummy yummy breakfast. 

2.   It’s all about the clothing.

I’m not joking. If you think you can wear jeans to workout in then you are in for a surprise. You need actual workout clothes. Tennis shoes, SOCKS, appropriate shirt and pants and for girls with long hair, a hair tie. Now the type of exercise clothes depends on preference and type of exercise. My mom for instance prefers to wear sweats, I like yoga pants, and gym shorts for when I run.

Check back next Tuesday for a selection of my favorite workout clothes.

3.   WATER, WATER, WATER!

 You should be drinking water anyway but if you’re going to start working out, you need to up that water intake. I have a Shakeology bottle that I fill and drink for every meal and 2-3 more times throughout the day.

Now I can’t stand drinking straight water in the mornings. Love it in the evening but it just tastes funny to me before 11am. And artificial flavorings are really not all that great so I make my own natural favored water.

·        Strawberry Mint: crush a few strawberries and muddle some mint. Simple and good. Put them with some ice in a bottle and go.

·        Lemon and Cucumber: slice a few pieces of lemon and a few of cucumber and put them in a bottle.

·        Apple Cinnamon: This one I put in a big jug in the fridge because T loves it. Slice an apple (your choice) and put in a jug of water with 1-2 cinnamon sticks.

4.   Commitment

 You might say “Oh I’m committed. I want to lose weight/get healthy/gain muscle.” But let me tell you, it’s harder than it seems. Life can side track you so easily. Skipping just one day can throw you off. Believe me, it’s happened multiple times to me.

It takes 21 days for something to become a habit. Which means if you can work out for half an hour every day for less than a month then you can make exercise a lasting commitment.

I personally like to stick 21 post-it tabs on a door frame and take off one a day after I had worked out.

5.   Music  

 This is hugely important for me. I can lose myself in my music and it doesn’t even feel like I ran 45 minutes on the treadmill. I use and recommend Spotify. It’s ten dollars a month and you can put as many songs as you want on playlists. Unlimited listening. There’s also Pandora which is a free site or you can just upload music to your phone or mp3 player.

6.   Do Something You Love

 This matters more than you know. Remember that commitment thing? Well if you’re doing an exercise you hate well you obviously aren’t going to stick with it. You’ll need to mix it up eventually but if you’re just starting out, then you need something that will hold your interest. I love the elliptical and weights but that’s not for everyone. I also highly recommend Zumba. It’s a dance workout that you can burn up to 800 calories in an hour. I lost 30lbs in 2.5 months doing Zumba twice a week. It’s amazing. Doesn’t even feel like you’re working out.

7.   The Buddy System

 Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, having a workout buddy is super beneficial. When you workout on your own you can come up with a ton of excuses as to why you don’t need to exercise that day. But if you have somebody else to go to the gym with or go running with, then you are less likely to skip it.

You can find other blogs and posts about exercise tips by checking out my Exercise Tips and Tricks board on Pinterest.

What are some of your tips and tricks for beginners?

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