It is coming to that time of year, no not January, September, the summer holidays are over and over the past few years, and September is fast becoming the second wave of the year for people getting back into exercise.

Whether you want to lose weight or build muscles, regular exercise is the one thing that you should do.

But what if you are starting from zero?

If you haven’t worked out in a while, or at all then it’s totally normal to feel a bit intimidated by the prospect of getting back into shape.

Especially going into a gym.

However, there is no need to worry.

Your ultimate goal should be to ease into a workout routine that is both sustainable and enjoyable.

These are my 10 tips on how to start working out when you have not in a while.

Ten things you can do to start working out

1. Do not overdo anything – start by giving yourself a non-negotiable amount of sessions to hit through the week, don’t go I will train every day because if you’re starting out you won’t and you will then start to think that you are failing and what is the point. Set yourself up with a number of sessions that you can and will do all the time, whether that is 2/3 or indeed 5 it doesn’t matter, but be truthful with yourself, these happen no matter what life throws at you. Be consistent with that and you will get to your goals feeling like a fucking beast.
2. Set a workout routine and fitness routine – Get a plan people, don’t just go to the gym and go I will do this or that today, as you never step outside your comfort zone and you won’t ever progress, there are plenty of free plans out there on the internet to follow but if you can, get yourself a coach that will hold you accountable.
3. Add other healthy habits to your lifestyle – This could be anything from switching of your phone, going for a daily walk, drinking more water or just hitting your nutrition, making sure you are eating a healthy diet. Don’t try to do too many at first, give yourself a couple to work on and then build it from there once they are point.
4. Add moderate intensity strength training and resistance training – Get stronger, it will make day to day life easier, but don’t go too hard too soon. Try to aim for an exertion level of 7-8 and you will not ruin yourself therefore you can continue being consistent with it.
5. Start with freehand exercises like push-ups – If you’re completely new to this or haven’t done it for a long time then just starting with bodyweight exercises is a great place to start, moving your own body for a lot of people is enough when that starts to become easier then look to add more resistance.
6. Track how your body responds – Make a note of how your body is feeling after training and the next few days, how your body looks, and how your clothes are feeling, you are the best person to know how your body is. You will know when to push it more, well deep down you will know when to ease it off. This is when a coach can come in handy.
7. Make it fun – By making it fun you have more chance of keeping it up, if you keep it up you have more chance of getting your goals. If you enjoy it you will keep doing it, this happens in every aspect of life.
8. Get a workout buddy –  Having someone to train with can make a huge difference, you become accountable, and you feel you have to turn up so you don’t let anyone down. It also means you can have a good moan when you get together about the rest of the shit that is going on in your life.
9. Have short-term and long-term fitness goals –  Having a long-term goal is a must but sometimes that can seem so far away it is beyond a joke and you can feel like you will never get there. Break it down into small targets to reach then you will feel like you are getting somewhere and the journey isn’t and doesn’t feel so long.
10. Celebrate your victories! –  When you get to those targets fucking celebrate, reward yourself, with new clothes, a night out, it doesn’t matter, what does matter is that you recognise that you have achieved something, it will help keep you on target.

So there you have it, these are the top ten tips on how to start working out when you have not in a while.

Just remember to ease into things, focus on adding other healthy habits to your lifestyle, and make it fun!

And most importantly, don’t push yourself too hard. The main thing is to start slowly and once you find your pace you can gradually increase the intensity and length of your workouts.

Go, be brilliant.