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For Beginners: A 30-Day Plan to Ease You into Fitness Success

Yiwen Lu, MS, RD
October 10, 2024
October 10, 2024

Are you ready for this exciting challenge? To begin, let's take a look at the recommended physical activity guidelines outlined by Health.gov in the infographic below: 

Remember, these guidelines will serve as our long-term goal to achieve by the end of one month, so don't be overwhelmed by the numbers!

For the next month, I challenge you to wholeheartedly commit and prioritize your physical activity goals. Let's focus on making steady improvements and, most importantly, sustaining these positive habits for the long run.

7 Tips to Remember Before We Begin

  1. Our plan focuses on three types of exercise: cardio, strength training, and flexibility training.
  2. You can choose to complete your daily training all at once or split it into shorter sessions. For example, 10 minutes after each meal.
  3. Remember to incorporate a variety of exercises into your routine. This not only makes exercise more enjoyable but also helps prevent injuries by avoiding overuse of specific muscles.
  4. Your muscles actually build and recover when you are not actively training them, so don't neglect rest days!
  5. Starting from week 2, you'll notice the plan suggests Trying something new! This is the perfect opportunity to explore intuitive exercise and pick up a new fitness-related hobby!
  6. Track your achievements and celebrate your progress! Remember, consistency is the key to success!
  7. Take action now! Wonder why you feel incredible after a workout? It's the power of endorphins and dopamine, the "feel good" hormones. Trust me, you're just one workout away from experiencing that amazing feeling!

Week 1 Sample Plan

Snapshot:

  • Cardio: 60 minutes
  • Strength training: 2 times
  • Flexibility training: 3 times

Week 2 Sample Plan

Snapshot:

  • Cardio: 105 minutes
  • Strength training: 2 times
  • Flexibility training: 4 times

Week 3 Sample Plan

Snapshot:

  • Cardio: 120 minutes
  • Strength training: 3 times
  • Flexibility training: 5 times

Week 4 Sample Plan

Snapshot:

  • Cardio: 150 minutes
  • Strength training: 3 times
  • Flexibility training: 5 times

Takeaways

Remember, everyone progresses at their own pace, so the monthly schedule provided above is merely a guide. Feel free to tailor it to your unique lifestyle, routine, and fitness level. For instance, if you find week 2 too intense, don't worry. When week 3 comes around, simply repeat the week 2 schedule until you feel ready to move on to week 3. The key point here is not to get discouraged and give up entirely. Building a habit takes time and effort, so don't let obstacles deter you. Remember, you're stronger than you think!

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