For somebody who hasn’t exercised before or doesn't exercise regularly, there is nothing more daunting than the prospect of joining a gym, or often simply the thought of exercise in any form. Many factors can inhibit or prevent a person from undertaking an exercise regime, these can be health related, work related, family related or simply that there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to fit in exercise. The key point to remember is, exercise can be one of the most fulfilling activities available. It doesn’t have to depend on a gym membership or getting up at 5am to run in the cold and rain, there are many programmes that will allow you to boost health, strength and stamina that don’t require leaving your home.
A key factor to bear in mind when starting an exercise regime is to not choose something that is high intensity, as there is a big chance you won’t be able to do it for long. For those who have done no exercise before, the best exercise to start is with walking, obviously this does require leaving the house - unless you have a treadmill at home. Start by identifying a route that allows you to walk with minimal stops, preferably one that has great views which will further enhance your experience. Woodland areas are a fantastic place to walk to really invigorate you and fill your lungs with fresh air. Start by allocating a time to your route and then track your progress, you should be looking to gradually increase your speed and eventually, extend the route or reduce the time it takes - at some point you may even feel able to increase the pace to a gentle jog. For most the best time to do walking would be upon waking, ideally on an empty stomach which is called fasted cardio. Do not make the mistake of consuming sugary drinks whilst walking, this will negatively affect fat burning, do always try to drink water or depending upon the intensity of the fasted cardio you may benefit from drinking EAA mixed in water.
I always think the absolute best time to exercise if you are a beginner is in the morning in terms of cardio. It is so easy to get up go to work and come home feeling tired and put exercise off until the next day, whereas if you set your alarm a little earlier and get it done first thing you have the evening free to do as you please, you will most certainly feel fresher and more energised throughout the day. Early morning fasted cardio is a great fat burner, and step towards increasing intensity and even gaining sufficient cardiovascular capacity, that you feel the next step is to actually join a gym and take your exercise to the next level.
If you have the room I recommend buying a spinning/aerobic bike, can you do low intensity steady state (LISS) cardio in the comfort of your own home, it is also specifically designed for High Intensity Interval Training. There are many studies which have proven as little as 6 intervals can boost resting metabolic rate, insulin response and all manner of health benefits. A spinning bike will allow you to embrace different training styles, meaning that you don’t have to join a gym if you are primarily concerned with boosting your health and losing body fat.
Whilst there is undoubtedly nothing better than doing a form of cardio and resistance training (not at the same time) for improving overall health and body composition, it may not be practical for you to join a gym. In such circumstances there are options, for example, simply doing sets of bodyweight squats you can raise your heart rate significantly and strengthen many of your core muscles. Home equipment has become much cheaper recently, if your budget does not extend to buying dumbbell’s or kettle bells for home use, make use of resistance bands, plus bands can be easily stored. Bands will whilst this is in no way equal to using dumbbells, barbells and machines it is a great start. For those who have room and a budget for home equipment, this can be the best investment you will make. Online auction sites can be a source of fantastic deals on used home gym equipment, often you recoup the cost of the equipment, against the money you save from not having a gym membership.
Due to personal circumstance a few years ago I was forced to quit the gym and train at home. I chose to buy a squat rack, pulldown machine, a bench and some adjustable dumbbells. This allowed me to train legs, chest, shoulders, arms, and back. Over the period of 3 years I gradually added to my equipment, buying a multi leverage press, a vertical leg press, a seated calf machine etc. It worked out cheaper than going to the gym and I could fit my training around my schedule. The key to training at home and making the most out of your investment is motivation, if you lack motivation this may not be a wise move. Some people will be much better off actually going to a gy, it will encourage them to train and the social aspect can be excellent. Gyms can be a great place to meet like-minded people and make new friends. However if like me, at a certain point in your life you simply can’t dedicate time to joining a gym, I most certainly recommend buying equipment to use at home. This can be a basic set up such as
