Pacing Yourself During Exercise (For Beginners)

By Lyndsay S @lyndsinreallife

If you’ve recently started trying to pursue a healthier lifestyle, then you may be feeling very motivated to get it going. It can feel like you’ve got a lot of work to do, and that may have you feeling as if you have to do it all now. The truth is, you can’t be too hasty when you’re exercising, and you have to learn to slow it down. Trying to do too much at once is going to leave you injured, and it’s not worth that risk.

Even professional athletes have to abide by their own pace, as overdoing it is no good for anyone, so make sure not to push yourself too hard.

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Why pacing matters

Going into your workout, you might feel like you’ve got a lot of energy and are ready for more, but that’s not always recommended. Pacing is finding out what your body is capable of, and trying not to go past that. If you’re new to working out, you’re not going to be able to keep up with a regular at the gym. You’ve got nothing to prove, so make sure you’re being physically aware.

If you were to exceed what you’re capable of, you’re going to notice the consequences of it soon enough. You could either strain yourself while working out or feel the pain the next day. In any case, once you’ve pushed yourself too far, you will be forced to take an extended break until you’re healthy again.

Understanding your limits

If you’re new to regular or strenuous exercise, it can be hard to identify where your limits actually are, and many don’t realize them until it’s too late. It could help to speak to a professional trainer about your current physical condition, but that won’t always be necessary.

It would be a sensible idea to start out small and work your way up over time. Wanting to reach your goals as soon as possible can be good motivation, but that will ultimately get you in trouble. Do enough to make you tired, and then come back tomorrow and do a little more. By constantly increasing what you do each day, you’re taking a lot of strain off of your body and you’re giving yourself the time you need to recover in between. This is a great way to build endurance to your workout, and you’ll notice that it gets easier each day that you try to tackle it. 

It’s important that you don’t try to do too much in one day. For example, if you work out in the morning and then feel ready to have another go at it in the evening, your body might disagree. If you want to recover quicker, you could consider visiting the sauna after workout. A sauna can help your body to heal from the pressure you put on it, and you lessen the risk of injuring yourself the next time you try to tackle your workout. You need all the help you can get at the start.

Thank you for reading!