Exercise is essential for a healthy lifestyle, great for both your body and mind.
But how do you do so safely? The New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals has five ways to avoid common mistakes:
1 Take it slow
If you’re not used to exercising, working out can make you feel tired and achy.
But you don’t have to go hard every time – start out slowly and exercise regularly and you’ll see improvements without burning out.
2 Don’t talk yourself out of it
Exercise takes effort, especially when it comes to building up your fitness.
Challenging yourself can be tough, but don’t be discouraged – instead, congratulate yourself on sticking at it.
3 Get enough rest
As well as scheduling workouts into your week, it’s important to build in rest days to allow for recovery.
But you can keep moving even if you’re ‘resting’ – they don’t have to be days off from anything to do with exercise.
A walk, a yoga class or other gentle exercise can count as ‘active rest’.
4 Eat well
Your body needs the right kind of food to use as fuel when you work out, so feed yourself a balanced diet so you’ve got the energy you need.
**5 Keep at it*
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It takes time to start seeing results, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t notice improvements straight away.
If your gym offers them, think about getting exercise tests to clock how far you’ve come, or set some goals you can work towards.
It might also help to note down anything that could be holding you back from reaching these goals.
Even if you’re not seeing physical changes just yet, exercise will be bringing significant benefits to your mental health and overall wellbeing.
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