I’ve gotten this every time I’ve (re)started certain types of exercising that I didn’t ease into. So for any others who want to achieve goals for their figure:
1. Stretch before and after.
Do dynamic stretches (stretches where you keep moving, like full range of motion rotations with arms and legs) before the exercising and static stretches (stretches where you hold a pose for 3-10 seconds at the end of it) after the exercising.
The exercise you do is better than the exercise you don’t. Exercises you enjoy or that you can do anywhere (no gym club costs; no need to go somewhere specific) are lower barrier to start with. Bodyweight squats, planks and pushups are good exercises with low barrier of entry that work major muscle groups. If you go to a gym, set a goal to go and go even if you don’t end up exercising there. Make it a habit. Eventually you’ll find it easier to do some exercises there. “I’m here anyway.”
3. Find your way to focus.
Certain music or watching exercise videos while you do it can help you focus and enjoy the exercise more.
Do it right before you do it fast. Do it right before you do it a lot. Focus on getting the form of your body during the exercise right. If an exercise hurts during the exercise, it might be that you did it wrong or it might be that you shouldn’t do it (yet). Start with few repetitions. Once you can do 8 repetitions comfortably, increase the amount of repetitions next time you do it. Or do 2 sets of 8 repetitions with 1 minute of rest in between. Once you can do 15-20 repetitions comfortably, consider doing a more difficult version of the exercise if there is one. Or, if you use weights during the exercise, increase the weight by the smallest amount.
Exercising, especially with weights, builds muscle. But don’t forget flexibility and stamina! An hour of yoga exercises per week for flexibility is great. For stamina, do cardio: walking, running, cycling, swimming. At least 30 minutes of dedicated walking per day and 30-90 minutes of more intense cardio once a week is a good baseline level of healthy cardio. You can do more days, but you just need to start first.
Figure specifically is sooooo much about diet. If you want to gain muscle, eat proteins (eggs, chicken, rice, beans, etc). If you want to lose fat, eat fewer calories per day (but not too few! Your body needs to function!) and it’s generally recommended to have 12 hours every day where you don’t eat so your body can recover and rest properly. So if you eat a morning meal to break your fast, don’t eat for 4 hours before you sleep.
Exercising damages your muscles. Rest is what (re)builds them. You need sleep! If you’ve slept less than 5.5 hours last night, maybe don’t exercise much that day. Just enough to tire you out at the end of the day, to make it easier to sleep more the next night. An adult body typically needs 7+ hours of sleep for good health. 6 hours can be fine. Less time than that puts more stress on the body.
Hope these tips will be helpful to someone!
Benefits beyond thicc thighs:
Exercising has helped me get more of a natural rhythm in my weekly routine, eat better, sleep better, remind me to shower, and given me more energy to do things during the day. It’s been a big mental health boost as a result too.
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