Tips/advice for a girl who's just starting to work out regularly?

Hi everyone! Well, I'm about to join a gym, after having been TOTALLY and utterly inactive for like 6 years straight. I'm actually quite slim, so this isn't a weight loss thing. I'm just SO out of shape (I mean, this is pathetic, but I think i actually get winded going DOWN stairs! LOL), I've actually been in a depression... so I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone. I want to be fit %26amp; healthy %26amp; feel better all around, and also tone some areas.





Anyway, I know joining a gym and/or starting a new exercise regimen can cause a lot of changes... I have some questions (feel free to answer as many as you like!)





1. What should I expect to feel on days 1, 2, and 3? (as in, when does it really burn? when does it get better?)


2. About how long until I start to see results?


3. Since I'm so out of shape (and also have breathing problems), I'm going to need to start VERY slowly. Any tips?


4. Any motivational advice?


5. Anything else you'd like to share...





Thanks everyone, so much! :DTips/advice for a girl who's just starting to work out regularly?
Hey, I've recently gotten in pretty good shape after going through 4 years of a hardcore pizza, chicken wings, and fried fish college binge. The most important thing to do is to define your goals, which it looks like you've started doing. Your post gives some good starting points for a goal (which at this point may be plenty), but as you go on, you will need to refine them. For example, you might say ';I want to loose 2% bodyfat while putting on a couple pounds of muscle.';


Anyways, here are my answers to your questions:


1) Day 1 is going to be kind of fun, but you need to stretch adequately, and not overwork yourself. However, you will likely overwork yourself (I always did too). Day 2 will likely be pretty sore, but you will have a higher energy. Day 3 will be less sore still, and about the same amount of energy. It's crucial you don't stop. You can get great results, but the key is to follow your plan religiously.


2) It's difficult to say exactly when you'll see results without seeing what your body is like, but I would guess you'd see some results after the first couple weeks.


3) Do as much as you possibly can in a safe way, andalways stretch! I'd strongly reccomend a spotter for weight training. Also, if an exercise isn't working for you, try a different one. Some work better for certain people. The best way to succeed, even though you might have been inactive, is to blow past your perceived ';limits.'; However, try to keep in mind what a good pain in, and what is a bad pain. Bone pain, joint pain, any stinging sensations - all bad. So, to sum it up, push yourself past the limitsis a safe way.





4) There are really three things that will get you to your goal. A) Exercise


B) Nutrition


C) Motivation


At the beginning, it's going to take about 15% Exercise, 15% Nutrition, and 70% motivation. Trust me though, it gets much, much easier after week 3. It requires much less motivation to get to the gym and eat right. The key to getting that body you've wanted is to do what it takes, no matter how much you might not feel like it. All the motivation it really takes is that split second decision whether to grab the protein shake or the fried chicken, or that decision to go to the gym or to watch TV. So, if you really want it, you can get it.





5) One thing you might have noticed from the first post here is that there are a TON of scam artists out there trying to make a buck, saying their methods are proven. 95% of the time, they are absolutely full of it. Always remember that there is no such thing as a ';miracle treatment or pill';. If there was, everybody would be in perfect shape. Also, never be afraid of lifting heavier weights. If you're eating less calories than you're expelling, you will not gain mass, you will only get leaner. The two dietary tips that helped me were to make sure I got no more than 20g of Sat. Fat in a day (try to get it as low as possible), get about 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight in per day, and make sure you never go below 800 calories a day. If you do, your body will start cannibalizing itself and start eating tissues such as your heart and other organs.





Good Luck!Tips/advice for a girl who's just starting to work out regularly?
Good to hear you're getting back into shape! Getting started is half the battle, which means you're halfway there.





Run anything I say by somebody who really knows what fitness is about. Just take home the nuggets, toss the rest.





I've found that a good way to go about this fitness thing is to know what you want and find out the best way to get it. Then go get it. What I mean is:





-Ask yourself, What do I want out of this - aerobic ability, to run like the wind? muscle strength, to lift cars? Search that soul of yours, dust off the lingering daydreams. Ask the same questions every so often, as your direction may change.





-Find something that you'd like to do, even if it seems impossible right now. I'm a bookworm, but I want to get back into martial arts soon. My workout routine is geared toward that, and by George, I'm gonna get there.





';OK, this is what I want. Now, how do I get it?'; This will take some trial and error, but that's part of the fun: figuring out what works. Don't take it personally, think of it as learning something about yourself.





Know what you're doing and why. ';Hey there, why are you running intervals?'; Tell me which you'd rather hear:


A. ';Intervals work better than a steady run - pushes the system more intensely.';


B. ';Um...'cuz it's cool?';





(Smart girls know what they're about.And they're soooo sexy.)





Working off a plan has given me good results; I recommend it highly. It's a good thing, but pay attention to how your bod feels. If you're like me at all, you'll be gung-ho starting out, you'll work your tail off, and feel so bad afterward that you'll say, ';Never again!'; If you're hating life after your workout, there's something wrong.





Starting easy is wise - after all, you want to test what your bod can handle, not break it in two. But not *too* easy.





You will be your own worst enemy. We're all that way. Make a doable plan, stick to it, and review it each month. That way you'll work hard, build confidence, and beat that side of yourself that says, ';Get off the treadmill already! What do I want? A jelly donut, that's what!';





One helpful bit I read is to finish off fresh. Work it so you're pushing your own envelope. Energy will dip, that's normal. After you've hosed down and shaken it out, you should feel better than before. It's been a good test for me so I don't overtrain (an easy thing for me to do).





To help get a feel for that, leave a little bit in the bank during your workout. If you're jogging and you feel like you could go on another mile, go half a mile. If you're lifting weights and you feel like you can do 5 more reps, do 3 or 4. In other words, train for success, not failure. This takes some experimenting.





Keeping a log of your exercise I've found helpful too. I keep track of how I'm improving (improving good), how I'm feeling (overtraining bad), and use that to tinker the plan.





Results you'll feel very soon - anywhere from right after to the next day. If you're feeling good, it'll show.





Motivation comes when you're doing what you set out to do. Nothing succeeds like success, so set goals you can reach, reach 'em, and go on to the next.





How do you know what your next goal is? Plan it, log it.





Again, find out all you can about fitness. Not just because it's interesting but vested interest. It's your body. There's a good reason it's called the fitness industry: there's a profit motive! And so much BS out there as a result, it's not even funny. Even personal trainers carry some silly ';advice'; that has no basis in fact.





Test everything - where'd they get that bit? what's the reason for doing this? I read something that contradicted...yadda yadda yadda. And test things on yourself. Again, it's your body; you be the judge.





I hope this all helps. Best of luck to you!
Good job ! The good thing is that you have motivation to do the right thing. So if you combine this motivation with self-discipline, you'll see great results.





1. The first two-four days, you will feel pretty tired. You will be extremely sore (if you are doing it right).


2. You will see physical results in a couple of weeks. But you will feel more energy and improve your mood within the first two weeks at the maximum.


3. You shouldn't start VERY slowly. You should do enough to where you feel the burn, but not to where you can't breath or you feel like you are going to burn a muscle. Work your way to expand your comfort zone and do even more.


4. Don't let others discourage you. Keep thinkig to yourself that you can do it. Don't let laziness get in your way.


5. Eating healthier and drinking lots of water will definitely help. Also, find a friend to do this with you. That always encourages me. :)





I hope this helps you and good luck ! Feel free to hit me up with any other questions.