Are you planning to do your first workout?
People don’t understand the struggle for guys who have never worked out once in their lives. A part of you knows you need this, and a part of you thinks it’s too late to even start. We’ve all been there before, and we know it’s never easy.
I can tell you with full confidence that not one person is truly prepared for what happens on the first day of their workouts. In this article, we won’t discuss which workouts you need to do, how many intervals, or what you need to eat. This article is all about the key bits of information that you need to know before starting a workout.
If you’re just planning to do your first workout, then you have certainly picked the worst time to start your fitness journey. Most gyms are closed, and for those that stayed open, there are strict health protocols that you need to follow. These days, it would be more practical to start exercising at home, until a gym near you opens for business.
Home workouts, just like gym workouts, are challenging in their own way. Unlike gyms that employ fitness trainers to help you with your workouts, exercising from home leaves you with a few options. You can invest in equipment and online fitness training sessions, or you can watch free fitness training videos to start. You can also look online for diet plans that target weight loss.
Following a workout and diet plan could bring drastic changes to your body, and you might be surprised at how your body would react. To help you prepare for your first day working out, here are some of the things you need to expect:
Stretching is very important
Back when you were a kid, your PE teacher would always start classes with a few minutes of stretching. I’m sure you didn’t think any of it back then, but stretching is more important than you think. Stretching before workouts help minimize your risk of injury during workouts. Regardless of how mild or intense your workouts are, you need to do some stretching before your workouts. Stretching improves the elasticity of your joints and muscles, giving you a full range of movement, which would help you follow workouts with ease.
Pain on the first day
If you made a decent effort to follow your workouts, then you can expect your body to ache all over the following day.
The painful sensation is caused by working your muscles to their limit. Your body hasn’t adapted yet to your workouts, and your muscles will take most of the brunt during your first workouts. The pain lasts for 2-3 days, and you might want to take some painkillers while your body heals.
Don’t try to do everything on the first day, or else you’ll have pain all over your body. Create a schedule that targets one section at a time. It makes no sense to do both upper and lower body workouts on the same day, especially if it’s your first day working out.
Learn to be familiar with the pain. As you continue your workouts, your pain tolerance will increase, and for most guys who work out, that’s a sign that you need to get to put more resistance and duration to your workouts.
Post-workout hunger pangs
Your first workout would make you want to devour a feast right away. You’ll feel hungry, and even cranky when you don’t get your fix. Don’t be surprised. Your body is burning more calories than usual, and it’s a normal reaction for your body to replenish your calories with food. Don’t worry. Your body will eventually break down fat to use as energy, and your hunger pangs will go away on their own soon.
You need more than two sets of clothes
When working out, you need at least three sets of clothes – the clothes you wear to the gym, the clothes you’d wear after taking a shower, and the clothes you wear if you sweat through your shirt. Some guys retain their core body temperature even after showering, causing them to sweat even after their workouts. You need to be prepared and bring more clothes than you need.
Pimple breakouts
An unexpected consequence of working out would be the nasty breakouts that are likely to happen a day or two after your workouts. Working out makes you sweat more, and clogged pores would likely become infected. The heat and moisture give bacteria the perfect environment to grow. If you regularly take care of your skin, this may not be a problem for you.
Disinfect your equipment
These days, you can’t be too careful. Wipe every piece of equipment down before and after use.
Before the global health crisis, wiping your equipment down is just an act of common courtesy. Now, gyms ask customers to disinfect and clean the equipment they used to prevent the spread of the virus.
Expect obstacles along the way
There will always be setbacks when you work out. After a hectic first day, the pain and disappointment may make you want to abandon your plans of working out. Everyone doubts their drive to work out. You need the right mindset when you start your workouts. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, and working out is simply a means to invest in yourself. There will always be delays, time constraints, deadlines, and other things that would be in the way of your workouts. Remember that you can always pick up where you left off.
There you have it! Once you’re done with your first day of workouts, the rest will be easier than you imagine. If you survived your first day, then you’re already over the hump. All you need to do is be consistent, stay focused, and don’t pressure yourself too much. As long as you’re working out, you would always make some progress.
