Now, that doesn’t mean you need to be hitting the gym hard seven days a week (in fact, that’s actually ill-advised-more on that in a minute). “It has to be a part of your lifestyle,” Hodges says, adding that the ultimate goal is to make movement as ingrained into your schedule as, say, showering or brushing your teeth.
It sounds simple, but if you want exercise to become a natural part of your routine, you need to stay consistent with it, certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist Keith Hodges, founder of Mind in Muscle Coaching in Los Angeles, tells SELF. How can beginners turn working out into a habit? After you get used to that, you can consider gradually increasing the number of days, Fagan says.
Instead, a good beginner workout plan is to try starting with two workouts a week. And overdoing it right away can turn you off completely from working out. Of course, if you’re just getting started and don’t exercise currently, that might be too big of a jump at first, ACE-certified trainer Sivan Fagan, CPT, owner of Strong With Sivan, tells SELF. The ideal breakdown of cardio and strength work varies depending on your specific goals, but in general, four to five days a week of exercise will do the trick if you’re aiming to improve or maintain your fitness.
