If you’re sociable or get bored easily with your workouts, you might want to take an exercise class, and there are a lot of classes geared to or welcoming of beginners. While gyms can be very expensive, you might be able to take a class at a reasonable price through a church, school, community center, or public rec center. Make some phone calls and ask around among your friends. Remember that an exercise class doesn’t have to be a lifelong commitment; depending on how the class is structured and charged for, you could attend just for a few weeks to shake things up, just for two or three sessions to get ideas for how to work out at home, or just during the winter months if you usually like to exercise outdoors.
Starting Strength Training
To get fit, you’ll need to do strength training as well as cardio. Exercise videos often provide both, but if you’re getting your cardio from walking or dancing you’ll need to work in some strength training. Watching exercise videos or DVDs or attending a few classes will give you ideas for exercises, and popular magazines are often filled with them as well. Below are some simple upper body ideas to get you started, and all you’ll need is a sturdy chair and hand weights. Most women who have not been working out will find three and five pounds good weights to get started with; men will probably be comfortable starting with heavier weights. Start with two sets of no more than ten repetitions (fewer if it hurts) and build up gradually.
Chest Fly: Lie on your back with your knees bent and hold one of your heavier weights in each hand, with your arms straight up in front of you. Slowly lower your arms almost to the ground, then raise them again. Repeat.
Seated Row: Sit in a sturdy wooden chair with no armrests. With one weight in each hand, place your feet flat on the floor and lean forward, keeping your back straight, until your chest almost rests on your knees. Keeping your arms slightly bent, slowly raise them straight out to your sides as far as is comfortable, then slowly lower them.