Top Fitness Routines for Beginners

Everyone knows that physical fitness is an important component of a well-rounded life. That said, it can be hard to get motivated and actually start to get fit. For people who aren’t currently fit, a new workout routine can be intimidating. Whether they have never been fit or they’re backsliders, the idea of a new fitness regime can be daunting. Luckily, there are some great resources out there for people who want to take the plunge and start to get fit. Even an absolute beginner can find great plans that will help them get started.

Once people have some grounding, a good fitness program isn’t that hard to construct. FITT is a guideline can help people develop an effective workout regime on their own. Frequency, intensity, time and type are the elements that make up the FITT acronym. Frequency is how often someone works out.

Typical advice from professionals for frequency is five days per week. Those five days should incorporate three sessions of strength training and three sessions of cardio. Typically, one workout day is active recovery or easy cardio, for example, a walk and a gentle stretch.

Intensity is a huge variable when it comes to workouts. For absolute beginners, intensity should never go beyond about the halfway mark. Doing too much too soon can lead to injury that will curtail a workout program altogether. Light to moderate intensity in both cardio and resistance training is ideal for a beginner.

Time refers to the duration of a workout. For beginners, each workout should last just 20 to 30 minutes. Again, overdoing it can lead to injury or burnout. The time per workout typically grows naturally as a person gets more fit. For example, if someone enjoys running, they will want to do greater distances each time they set out. Instead of one mile, they will want to do three, then five and so on.

Finally, type refers to the kind of workout being done. Generally speaking, there are two types of workout, cardio, and strength or resistance training. However, for fitness to continue to develop, muscle confusion is necessary. A program that mixes things up will have great results. Options for cardio include walking, running and swimming. Resistance training can involve weights, bands, or body weight.

This article was originally published on JamesCrickmore.org.uk.