There’s a lot of factors that can go into crafting an exercise regimen. Intensity, frequency, volume, modality, variety, and all of the other variables can be addressed when you’re ready to commit to an exercise program. However, I think we can scale back to some more basic components to get you started. In my opinion, when you’re just starting out, I think your exercise regimen should be built around enjoyment and efficiency.
Enjoyment Increases the Likelihood of Adherence
The main reason I think enjoyment should be a high priority consideration when building an exercise regimen is simply because if you don’t enjoy the exercise you’ll find every reason and excuse or way to avoid doing the exercise. Believe me. Even as someone who has always been athletic and loved fitness, sports, movement, and exercise there have been times when I’d find ways to skip over the parts I didn’t enjoy. I also think competence is important to mention here because competence either makes a task easier to complete or it will likely help you to enjoy the activity if you’re good at it.
Based on fundamentals of behavior change, we know that humans will be most likely to do something if they enjoy it and/or are competent at it. Success typically requires adherence (aka sticking to) some kind of plan or strategy that is built of a series of tasks to complete. Ergo, if you enjoy something you’re more likely to complete the task which is how we get results.
Efficiency Based on Science
If you really can’t think of any exercise that you may even slightly enjoy, the next best thing is to be disciplined with efficient exercise.
There are plenty of times where I’d argue that you should be efficient with your exercise first and foremost, even before you worry about enjoying your exercise. But again, based on principles of behavior change we know less discipline is required and you’re more likely to repeat and adhere to something you enjoy.
If, however, you’re able to be disciplined and adhere to an efficient regimen – even if you don’t enjoy it at first and have to learn to enjoy it or at least enjoy the after – then you’re even better off.
How do you know if your exercise regimen is efficient? The regimen will be science based and aligned with your goals. The best way to know if your regimen is science backed is to work with someone who is properly educated on the latest exercise science principles. However, if you’re looking to DIY, then a starting point is to begin with the American College of Sports Medicine Activity Guidelines.
Keep the ACSM Guidelines in Mind
While you can be healthy and in shape without strictly adhering to the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations for weekly movement, it’s still worth mentioning these baseline movement guidelines when crafting an exercise regimen. Simply because there have been numerous studies regarding the benefits for your overall health, wellness, and longevity.
Activity Guidelines per the American College Sports Medicine are as follows:
ACSM recommends “150 minutes of moderately strenuous activity per week & a resistance training program a minimum of 2 non-consecutive days per week.”
Remember, resistance training doesn’t necessarily mean weighted training. You can achieve resistance training with bodyweight movements. As you progress you will see more benefits by utilizing and increasing resistance with different implements and tools like resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, etc. But if you’re looking for a starting point, begin with body weight training.
Once You’re In A Rhythm, Don’t Let Yourself Get Into a Rut
Often once people become consistent and disciplined in their regimen they may find they stop getting results. It’s crucial that as you progress you remember to continue to challenge yourself. Why? Our bodies adapt. This can cause us to plateau if the stimulus doesn’t challenge us to grow.
Challenging yourself can include trying a variety of activities to mix it up for your body and see if there’s something new for you to enjoy and improve at. Never let the fear of being a beginner again hold you back from trying something new. Everyone starts as a beginner. Furthermore, different modalities can help you improve your primary modalities. For example, sometimes runners will find swimming or other water aerobics like treading to be gentler for their joints while taxing their cardio endurance.
The Bottom Line
The best exercise is the one that you’ll actually do. We can be more efficient, especially if we have a deadline on our goals, but if our discipline and willpower aren’t strong enough yet then you will find every reason and excuse to avoid the exercise. Begin with exercise you are capable of and enjoy. Then, when possible, align your exercise to what will be most efficient for your goals. Remember to keep in mind the American College of Sports Medicine activity guidelines and as you progress to continue to challenge yourself, have variety, try new things, and ensure you’re getting enough rest and recovery.
My Life as an Example, Then and Now
In the past I used to be extremely endurance focused with swimming, water polo, and cardio kickboxing as my primary forms of movement. I loved these cardio modalities. For my goals and knowledge at the time, this was efficient enough. You’ll notice that I severely lacked proper resistance training back then. Not because I didn’t need it. At the time, I didn’t enjoy it and therefore I didn’t do it. The older I get, the more I’ve learned (and personally experienced) the importance and functionality of a proper resistance training program. I now appreciate and thoroughly enjoy resistance training and all of its benefits and efficiencies. Back in the day, had I been better about resistance training, I could’ve been even more efficient and better equipped to achieve my goals.
Currently I’m in a maintenance mode, but still prioritize my resistance training the most. My exercise goals are primarily strength focused, with mobility and auxiliary movements as my secondary objective, and slightly increasing my cardio. For me, an ideal week of this looks like: 3 days of strength training per week, 2 days of Pilates/yoga per week, 1 day a week of running per week at minimum, and maybe 2-3 walks per week. This regimen allows me to maintain my goals, get enough rest and recovery, and get a variety of activities that I genuinely enjoy! I know this is efficient for me because of the foundation I have built, my results I’m looking to achieve are maintained, and it aligns with the science according to my goals.
My weeks don’t always look like that and from experimentation I know that they don’t have to. If I have to scale back, I will. If I have an opportunity to do more or do a different activity that will add some variety, I will. If my body is screaming for rest, I’ll listen. Even if I over indulge or take a break, I know what I need to do to feel my best and get myself back on track. I’ve experimented and continue to put in the work. In the end, this works for me because it aligns with my goals, my schedule, and my lifestyle. I adhere to this regimen because I genuinely enjoy it, it’s efficient for me, and I continue to challenge myself for the results I want.