Pretty much everyone who wants to get into exercise makes the same mistake: they jump into a program that’s too challenging.
Whether it’s starting a new run regime, taking up swimming or hitting the gym, they try to push themselves to do too much, too soon. And I’ve been guilty of doing the same.
In my experience, this has led to injuries and simply feeling too exhausted to continue working out.
“People think they’ve got to do everything all at once,” says Peloton instructor Hannah Frankson, who confirms this is a mistake she’s seen many beginners make.
“I think people get overwhelmed with the expectation of what they need to achieve,” adds Ben Alldis, another Peloton instructor and trainer.
I asked the two instructors how people can navigate this issue, and they had three tips to share.
Start smaller than you think you need to
When you start exercising, you might be surprised at what you can do.
Maybe you can lift a heavy weight, run 5K off the bat, or power through a tough Zumba class.
But while you might have the muscular strength and endurance to do these things once, repeating them several times a week—when you haven’t been exercising previously—can stress your previously underworked joints and tank your energy levels.
It’s much smarter to start small and build up strength and consistent habits.
“Start with a 10-minute workout and you can build that confidence, build that momentum,” says Alldis.
Once you’ve built a consistent habit of regular, shorter workouts, you can gradually increase the duration and intensity.
Accept that your motivation will drop
At some point, you will just not want to exercise.
This happens to everyone—including fitness instructors—but it’s especially common if you’ve made the common mistake of taking up a workout program that is too hard for you.
“People think I’m just not motivated, I’m different from everyone else, I’m not disciplined; and that’s not true at all,” says Frankson.
If your workout program is proving too demanding, there’s no reason not to scale it back. But sometimes, we just have to accept that we don’t feel like exercising and do it anyway.
Frankson also suggests trying a different type of exercise when you feel this way.
Do something you actually enjoy
The best way to motivate yourself to stick with exercise is by finding something that you enjoy.
This might mean you have to try a number of different workouts before you hit on something you love, although it’s also smart not to discount a type of exercise before you’ve given it a real shot.
“People often tell themselves they can’t do something,” says Alldis. “They give themselves this identity without really giving it a go or understanding the journey they can go on.”
He says he’s encountered people who previously dismissed running go on to love it.
“I feel like people don’t give themselves the space and grace to experiment and find out what really works for them,” Frankson adds.
Try different exercise modalities, and once you’ve hit on something you genuinely like, it won’t feel like a chore to return to it every week.