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jtrdrew t1_iu46hxp wrote

For anyone dabbling in the idea of becoming more active. Starting out you have to be very humble with your goals. It takes a lot of humility.

I picked some basic weight lifts and push up/sit ups. I call it my prison workout. I live in a small apartment and used to think I didn’t have space/time for exercising daily. Now I budget 30 minutes a night. I started incredibly small and have only really just begun.

I started with the goal of 1 set 1 rep of each, because motivation doesn’t come before action it comes during/after. Set your bar low folks and you’ll be very surprised how quickly you’ll see results!

Edit: I figured I should make an edit on this since it’s gaining a little traction.

I use a habit tracking app on my phone to encourage myself to drink more water, eat consistently (I still allow garbage food, but I was skipping meals and figured if I aim at just becoming more consistent with meals I can adjust as I go), getting out/socializing (I have really bad anxiety/agoraphobia, so just leaving my apartment is very difficult for me sometimes. Sometimes just walking around in the backyard counts, sometimes I make it to a new place or event), and lastly I track exercise/stretching.

I’ve been tracking/adjusting habits for over a year now. I fall off sometimes for days, weeks, or months, but the visual representation of my efforts always brings me back.

I’m on week 3 for my 30 minute daily exercise. I’ve gone from doing 1 set with half reps/bad form and last night I actually completed my first bigger goal of 3 sets, 12 reps/lift to failure. I’m noticing a difference in my physical appearance, my mindset, my ability to rest/remain calm under stress, my focus is getting better, days no longer drag on. There’s so many little things I’m noticing improvement in!

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iu4u9g3 wrote

The best workout is the one you do regularly.

For your health, walking 10 minutes a day is probably better than running a marathon once a year.

Keep trying out activities and anything active until you find something that you will do consistently, then over time, try to get better at it.

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Junior_Arino t1_iu5f4nt wrote

The hardest part about starting out that no one talks about is the extreme soreness afterwards. It’s debilitating especially if you have to work a physical job later. I’m fairly active and have been trying to get my gf more active but it’s hard to stay consistent when she’s sore for a whole week after one workout.

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BeerMeMarie t1_iu5hpah wrote

That's just from overdoing it, though. Do a few weeks of very low weight (if she's using weight) and low reps, and one set. Build up over time.

Edit: and it may seem counter intuitive, but exercising the same muscles when they're sore actually decreases the soreness. Is she sore? Do some stretches, some exercises (light if just beginning/getting back into it), some more stretching, and she'll feel better.

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Junior_Arino t1_iu5u9vv wrote

That’s the thing, I knew she would be sore so we just did body weight exercises for her. But I’ll keep those tips in mind, just have to start extremely slowly

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iu680kx wrote

By definition if she’s sore you over did it.

Not everyone likes DOMS :)

It can be really surprising how little a completely untrained person can do on the first few workouts, but it’s key to start easy.

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No_Incident_1120 t1_iu5ykun wrote

Repeat the exercise on top of the soreness to push the lactic acid buildup out of the muscles. It works.

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iu68526 wrote

Kind of, but not quite. I’m wouldn’t repeat the exercise at the same intensity, instead light activity I.e. active recovery is best, for example an easy stationary bike.

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MiseALepreuve t1_iu6g82q wrote

I wouldn’t agree with that, but only because to run a marathon you have to be in good shape all the time and specifically train for a marathon.

No one runs a marathon without getting good daily exercise

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iudjk3s wrote

Well, obviously.

It was a hypothetical example.

You must be really fun at parties.

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