Aerobic Exercise

This can include walking, jogging, swimming, dancing and anything else that will raise your heart rate for a period of time. 

Aerobic exercises help to work the largest muscles of your body, having significant benefits for your cardiovascular system and helping you reverse any weight gain. It would be best if you aimed to do a 20-minute session at least 3 or 4 times a week. 

As a benchmark, you should carry out the "talk test" while participating in any new exercise, ensuring that you can participate in conversation while doing any activity.

Stretching

Alongside your cardiovascular system and muscles, you will also need to exercise the dexterity and flexibility of your joints. 

Completing stretching exercises and improving your flexibility also helps to mitigate the risk of muscle injury and soreness. Excellent examples of these exercises include yoga and pilates. 

These exercises also help to strengthen your core and promote good stability.

Strength Training

Improving your strength through weight training can also benefit your posture, reduce the risk of injury and even improve bone strength and tone your body. 

Strength training is best started with a weight you can easily manage, completing 8 repetitions of each particular movement. 

Once you become more comfortable with the weight, you can increase the repetitions until you can easily complete 12 of them.

Getting Started with Exercising

The most challenging part of an exercise programme is just that, the starting part, especially if you haven't previously had regular physical exercise as a big part of your life before. 

One of the best things you can do, and one of our top tips for those wanting to start regular exercise, is to find an exercise buddy. 

Not only will this person be able to motivate and support you when you aren't feeling up to it, but they can help to make exercise an enjoyable, social activity. It is also important that you start relatively slowly, at least until your body gets used to regular exercise.

01
Find an Exercise you Enjoy

Another great tip for starting a regular exercise plan is to find something that you enjoy doing. 

Some people may find that the calming effects of a walk or jog can improve both their mental and physical fitness simultaneously. 

On the other hand, for lovers of music, regular dancing can combine your passion with beneficial exercise. And, of course, who doesn't love a good kick about in the park with friends.

02
Look for Guides and Videos Online

There are also thousands of exercise guides and video tutorials on the internet that will help you find an exercise that is right for you. 

From simple, gentle physical routines you can do in the comfort of your living room to more intense HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts, there is something for every skill level.   

03
Don't Push Yourself at the Start

It is important to reiterate that you do not overdo it straight away. Again, once you have first checked with your doctor that your health will permit you to take exercise, only then should you start in earnest. 

It is often best to start with light, 10-minute workout routines before progressing to anything more strenuous. 

This is especially important if regular physical activity has not previously played a prominent role in your life.

04
Find Friends or groups to Exercise With

Exercising with friends or activity groups can make it feel less like exercise and more like an enjoyable physical activity. 

You might feel like tagging along with a local walking or rambling group, joining a local amateur sports team, or even taking part in exercise groups in local gyms. 

Another benefit of exercising alongside others is that these forms of activity are more regimented, often organised by a specialist personal trainer, and will give you better benchmarks regarding your progress.

05
Create an Exercise Diary

Diarising your exercise also has many benefits. Arranging your exercise beforehand ensures that you can always make time for it, working your routines naturally into your day-to-day regimes. 

It can also be a way of charting your progress. As physical activity becomes more a regular part of your life, you can increase the amount you can do and push yourself further. 

It may also help you know whether the exercise you are doing is beneficial for you, whether the amount of exercise you are taking part in improves your health and fitness.

06
Set a Target

07
Vary your Activities

Another important aspect of your exercise regime is that you vary the activities that you are doing. This will help you to avoid becoming bored, repeating the same physical activities over and over again. 

Taking part in various exercises will also help you exercise the three main groups discussed at the start of this article: aerobic, strength and stretching. 

The NHS suggest that you complete at least 2 1/2 hours of "moderately intense" exercise per week. You can cut this time down to 1 1/4 hours a week if the exercise is more intensive. 

The NHS also suggest that you limit the amount of time you spend sitting or lying down, countering long periods of inactivity with rigorous exercise.

Over time, you will find that your chosen exercises will become easier as your strength and stamina improve. If you find that they are becoming too easy, you should attempt to find ways to keep them challenging and beneficial by

Extending exercise times.
Adding greater resistance to the movements you are carrying out.
Using heavier weights.
Upping the intensity and working out quicker.
Adding more repetitions to your physical activities.

09
Find Time to Rest 

Of course, it is important to stick to your limitations and not push yourself too far, too soon. While you may catch the exercise bug and want to try everything at once, it is just as vital that you take the time to rest and let your body recover. 

If certain exercises become too much for you or you feel that they are beginning to harm rather than help you, try to find ways to adapt them and make them a little easier. Exercising responsibly will come with untold benefits, including:

Improved mobility, stamina and mobility
Improved sleep
Better mental and physical health