With the summer in full swing, you may be wanting to start building healthy habits such as working out. As a beginner, though, exercising can be exhausting and difficult to maintain a consistent schedule. Here are some of the Daily Clog’s best tips to help you start your exercise routine. 

Don’t be afraid to start 

When first deciding to start exercising, your mind can flood with tons of excuses not to start. They could be wanting to wait for the cute gym outfit you bought to arrive or the gloomy weather taking away your motivation. Ultimately though, these small excuses could also be known as stalling. Perhaps the truth could be that you don’t know where to begin. That’s OK too. Once you start working out, though, you are one step closer to becoming more comfortable in your new workout space. Don’t be afraid to take that first step!

Plan a specific time every day or week to workout

As college students, the thing that may be prohibiting us is time. Look at your schedule and try to block out a time that works for you to exercise. If your schedule is a little bit too packed, you could even try to schedule small workout sessions. Perhaps in the mornings or every other day. If you are still new to working out make sure to not overexert yourself by working out for 30 minutes to an hour a day. By having this time set in your schedule, you’re more likely to remain consistent. 

Exercise with a friend

When it comes to building a workout routine, exercising with a friend is a really good way to keep yourself motivated and accountable. Find a friend that you feel comfortable with and invite them to the gym so you feel less lonely. It can be extra useful to find a gym partner that knows the ins and outs of exercising, too. Conquering gym intimidation in two is better than just one. 

Be creative with your workout routine

Working out doesn’t always mean you have to head out to the Recreational Sports Facility. You can make working out more fun if you plan things that are more creative than just your regular routine. Instead of doing cardio on a treadmill, set up a hike with friends for the weekend. There are many different ways you can work out, such as playing a sport, going on daily walks or even a summer favorite like swimming! 

Be kind to yourself

If you set really high expectations for yourself and you don’t meet them, it’s easy to put yourself down. Don’t beat yourself up when it comes to your current fitness level, endurance or body. All this will do is make you less motivated to work out. Everyone works out at their own pace. The person running 10 mph on the treadmill next to you has probably been working out for months to get to that pace. You should be proud of yourself for even going to the gym because that in itself takes a lot of effort. 

With these tips, you are sure to start building a workout routine that will be rewarding and fun. Remember that working out should be done in moderation — just like everything else. Here’s to being happy and healthy!