Improving your fitness levels can change your life for the better, physically and mentally, as Michelle Higgs explains
“Walking is often recommended as a first activity if you haven’t exercised for a while because it’s low impact on your joints and it’s free!”
“If you haven’t exercised for a while, it’s important to start slowly and gently to avoid injuries. Take your time and go at your own pace”
“Exercising with a friend can be great fun. It’s also brilliant for support and encouragement at moments when you’re less positive about getting fit”
“If you like the idea of team sports, but you’re worried about your fitness levels, consider a walking sport first”
Facts/stats
63% of adults in England are doing 150 minutes, or more, of moderate intensity physical activity a week
(Active Lives Adult Survey, 2022-2023)
In 2022-2023, fitness classes were the most popular sport activity in England, followed by running
(Statista)
In 2024, the NHS Couch to 5K app hit more than 7 million downloads
(Department of Health & Social Care, and NHS England)
Love it or hate it, regular exercise should be an important part of your life. It’s the key to staying strong and healthy, and to reducing the risk of developing serious health conditions in the future. You can also learn new skills and make new friends in the process.
But if you don’t think of yourself as ‘sporty’ and you haven’t exercised for a long time, it can be difficult to know where to start. The good news is that you don’t have to go to a gym to get fit – unless you want to, of course. It’s all about tailoring exercise to your individual lifestyle. Don’t worry about being unfit to begin with. Whatever your fitness levels, there will be an activity to suit you.
Walking is often recommended as a first activity if you haven’t exercised for a while because it’s low impact on your joints and it’s free! Start by walking around the block near your home, on the flat if possible. You can then build up to walking further and faster as you get fitter.
Remember, if you haven’t been physically active for a long time, you should see your GP before embarking on any kind of exercise, especially if you’re obese.
How active should you be?
According to government guidelines, adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity every week, and be active every day. If you don’t currently do much exercise, 150 minutes may seem impossible. But it’s only 30 minutes on five days of the week and you can build up to that slowly as your fitness levels improve. The 150 minutes can be made up of a wide range of moderate intensity activities such as brisk walking, swimming and cycling.
To be of real benefit, the exercise must increase your heart rate and make you breathe faster. You should be able to have a conversation with someone next to you, but not to sing a song. If you’re not sure what counts as ‘active’, check out the government’s useful infographic:
But it’s not just about physical exercise that makes you sweat and out of breath. In addition, on at least two days a week, you should do some resistance-type exercises to strengthen your muscles, bones and joints. This could include carrying heavy shopping bags, using resistance bands at home, taking a dance class or doing some yoga or Pilates. Older adults should also do some form of exercise that helps to improve their balance, for example, tai chi, dance or bowls.
9 fitness tips for beginners
- Start small
If you haven’t exercised for a while, it’s important to start slowly and gently to avoid injuries. Take your time and go at your own pace. Remember that every minute of physical activity you do counts, and it doesn’t matter if you can only manage five minutes to start with. The important thing is to start. You can then gradually increase the duration and intensity of exercise as you get fitter.
- Buddy up
Exercising with a friend can be great fun. It’s also brilliant for support and encouragement at moments when you’re less positive about getting fit. And if you feel self-conscious about going to a fitness activity session by yourself, your mate can keep you company. Another plus is that you’re less likely to skip a session if you know you’ll let your friend down.
- Find an activity you love
Look for an activity that’s so much fun, you won’t want to miss a session. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick to it. Whether that’s a group dance class, an invigorating swim or playing padel, it could become the highlight of your week! Where possible, keep it local because if you have to travel miles to get there, you’re less likely to go regularly.
- Try walking sports
If you like the idea of team sports, but you’re worried about your fitness levels, consider a walking sport first. These are slower versions of traditional sports with adapted rules. You could try walking football, walking netball, walking basketball, walking cricket or walking hockey. But be aware that you’ll still get a workout!
- Exercise at home
Some people prefer not to exercise in front of other people, while others find it difficult to fit in going to a gym or leisure centre. The great thing is everyone can exercise in the comfort of their own living rooms for free! There are so many brilliant online fitness, dance, yoga and Pilates videos that you’ll be spoilt for choice. You could start by browsing the home workout videos on the Better Health website. If you have limited mobility, there are even seated versions so you don’t have to miss out.
- Schedule your exercise
Every time you plan to do a physical activity, put it in your diary or in the organiser on your phone so that you make a date with yourself to exercise. Whether it’s a daily walk or cycle ride, or a couple of activity sessions a week in the evenings, allotting time to it helps to mentally commit yourself to actually doing it.
- Build exercise into your routine
The easiest way to increase the amount of physical activity you do is to incorporate it into your daily routine. To do this, you could walk or cycle to the shops; take the stairs instead of the lift at work; get off the bus a stop or two early; or walk your dog more often. In this way, you won’t even realise you’re exercising! You could then add in a fitness class or a dance or yoga session a couple of evenings a week.
- Set achievable goals
Having a goal is a great way to keep yourself motivated on your journey to get fit. But as a beginner, it’s important that you make sure any goals you set are achievable. Otherwise you could fall at the first hurdle and give up. A simple first goal is to identify a mile-long circular walk near you and record how long it takes you to complete it. Each time you do the route, aim to walk it faster. A bigger goal might be to take part in a parkrun event for walkers, joggers and runners, or even a charity bike ride or run.
- Be kind to yourself
Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to do an exercise session when you planned to. This can happen because of illness, pressures of work, the needs of a family member etc. And that’s OK. Just start again the next day. As long as you stay committed to keeping active, you’ll reap the health benefits in the long term.
