Wondering how to start fitness-ing? One morning you wake up and notice that you don’t look the way you would like to… With little extra bits of you to love here and more of you to love there. The natural reaction is to spiral along the thought process of “How did I get here,” and “When did this happen?” Rest assured that this is a very common conversation and easy to alter with consistent actions, patience, and time.

The first thing you’ll want to do is set some specific goals. Figure out what you need to do to get there. Set some milestones and micro goals to keep you focused. Identify potential obstacles that will keep you from achieving your new goals. And securing resources that will help keep you on track.

Figuring out your fitness level and tolerance is the initial step.

If it’s been a few years since you’ve been active, it is likely best to start conservatively and Exercise to your tolerance. There are a lot of fitness assessments you can conduct, so if you’re not sure make sure you do your research and/or hire a professional.

Understanding the types of fitness can also get overwhelming with the fifty-million possible programs that exist. So let’s break it down a little bit.

From a simple and exercise-only perspective (look out for the following nutrition articles coming in the new few weeks), most scientists will agree with the black-and-white statement that lifting weights will stimulate muscle growth and cardiovascular exercise will stimulate fat loss.

Once we understand how to start changing our bodies through what type of exercise is necessary, it becomes a game of figuring out how much and how often.

Many fitness professionals will use the F.I.T.T.D. model to plan programs. This stands helps determine the frequency of exposure to exercise. It determines how intensely you should execute the exercise. Also, it determines the type of activity necessary for the type of body changes wanted. And we are looking too at the time necessary to allocate for appropriate exercise and the duration of exercise sessions.

Depending on how much exercise you have completed on a regular basis (>2x/wk) will dictate how much you need to exercise to reach the next level. Think about this similarly to how many Excedrin you may need to take to get rid of a headache, 50 may be way too many, and 1 may not be enough to get your headache to disappear. With the Dose-Response principle in mind, the following are some general guidelines to start to put together a plan for yourself.

Initial appropriate dosages for individuals with little recent exercise history may include lifting weight or bodyweight exercises 2-3 times per week for 30-60 mins at a moderate intensity that allows the individual to walk (not crawl) out of the gym. Incorporating cardio 3-4 times per week with a similar intensity and duration on days not lifting can also help changes in the body by creating a consistent habit of exercising daily and improving tolerance to exercise. Understand that the ideal is listed at the upper end of the ranges. And that the lower numbers may exist as simply a starting point to get going.

Choose exercises that you’re comfortable with and enjoy when starting an exercise plan.

But understand that changes you need to implement regularly and in a progressive way. This way you make sure that your continued hard work isn’t wasted when your body becomes adapted to the regimen. Not increasing how challenging your workouts can often lead to frustration as a result of plateauing effects.

Some things that can help you determine if you’re on the right track before you step on the scale are what we call “leading indicators”. This includes seemingly unassociated aspects of our day-to-day such as daily energy levels and sleep quality. Generally, if we’re doing things that are good for us, we tend to feel better. If we constantly feel fatigued or drained, there is a higher likelihood that we’re neglecting some aspect of self-care.

Once you have those basics down, check out the next article on how to progress your exercise!