| How to Start Working Out Posted: 22 Aug 2018 05:00 PM PDT Although nearly everyone likes the idea of regularly exercising or hitting the gym, maintaining the motivation to exercise regularly is a different story. It can be tough to establish and maintain a workout regimen. Fortunately, there are some tricks that can help you. Focus on establishing and meeting easily attainable exercise goals. Instead of getting frustrated and giving up when you don't see results immediately, focus on exercising 2 or 3 times a week, for as little as 20-30 minutes each time. EditSetting Clear Goals - Talk to your doctor before beginning a workout regimen. If you're a rookie to the workout game, check with your doctor to see if there are any types of workouts or exercises that you need to avoid. This is especially important if you suffer from any chronic illnesses or have a physical disability. If this is the case, it's wise to consult a doctor.
- If you're a male over 45 or a woman over 55, do not start an exercise regimen without speaking to your doctor first.
- Your physician may even be able to suggest some specific exercises that you can safely perform.
- Choose an exercise goal and a timeframe in which to accomplish it. This can be totally different for each person. Maybe you want to build muscle, maybe you want to lose weight, or maybe you want to keep your body fit and healthy. Having a clear goal will motivate you to continue exercising even when you don't feel like it. Aim for something specific: to run a half-marathon in 6 months, or to perform 30 push-ups per minute in 3 weeks.[1]
- Think about what you want to be good at. Maybe you don't have a weight goal or a waistline goal, but you want to be able to run a 5k, no problem.
- Many people exercise so they can lose a little weight. Do you want to be thinner around the waist by summer? lighter in 6 months? Lose 5% of your body fat by next year?
- Make sure to set healthy goals for yourself. Don't try to lose an excessive amount of weight in a short amount of time. If you're uncertain whether an exercise or weight-loss goal is healthy or not, check with your doctor.
- Make exercise a priority in your schedule. It's easy to fill up your free time with activities other than working out. To avoid this situation, prioritize daily (or weekly) exercise over other inessential parts of your day. Making exercise your first priority will ensure that it doesn't get put off as mundane obligations start to pile up during the day.[2]
- For example, set your alarm an hour earlier and get in some time at the gym before work every morning. Or, let your friends know that you can't make it out for happy hour, since you need to exercise right after work.
- Conversely, be careful not to obsess over exercising, or to cut off social ties for the sake of working out. Keep yourself motivated by interspersing exercise with other components of your life.
EditChoosing the Right Workouts for You - Join a gym if you like a mix of strength and cardio. A gym's main benefit is convenience: it has cardio machines, weight machines, and free weights (among other equipment) all in 1 place. If your main exercise goals are to improve your heart rate, lose weight, or bulk up on muscle, a gym is the best place to start.[3]
- Don't worry about feeling intimidated by other gym members, either. Most people at gyms are supportive of one another, and mind their own business.
- Average gym membership costs can range from $20-45 USD per month. If that's more than you can afford, try looking around for a discount gym in your area. Discount gyms may have fewer machines and weights, but can cost as little as $10 USD per month.
- Try yoga if you're looking for a low-impact exercise. Yoga is a great add-on exercise to a cardio routine, and it is very relaxing. Look into yoga if you'd like a calming, centering experience that also stretches and builds tone in your muscles.
- Many YouTube channels offer yoga guidance. You can also look into taking a yoga class at a nearby gym.
- Take group classes for extra motivation. Being around a group of other people who are doing the same exercise routine as you are can be fun. You'll be motivated to keep up with everybody else in the group, and can make some friends among your classmates. Taking classes is also a great way to figure out which type of exercise you enjoy most and would like to pursue further.[4]
- Most gyms and workout facilities offer classes at all different skill levels. If you're just starting a new type of exercise—e.g., a spin class or yoga class—check out the beginner-level course.
- Work with a personal trainer if you want more individual attention. A trainer can familiarize you with the gym, show you how equipment works, and answer any exercise-related questions you may have. Even if you don't plan to work with a personal trainer long-term, having 2 or 3 sessions with a trainer can be a great way to learn about different types of exercise and find one that you enjoy.[5]
- Depending on the gym you're a member at, you may be entitled to a free session with a personal trainer just for signing up.
- Once the free sessions have expired, you'll be looking at an average cost of $80-125 USD per session to work with the trainers. If you'd like a less-expensive option, see if trainers at the gym offer group-training sessions.[6]
- You can also hire a private personal trainer to come to your home, but this is a much more expensive option.
- Work out at home if you have time or financial constraints. If you don't have the time or money to purchase a gym membership, you can easily find ways to work out at your own home. You can purchase a few small weights and do simple exercises while lying on your bed. Or, carry a heavy object around with you while you're going about your day.[7]
- You can purchase barbells or dumbbells at a local sport-supply store. If you're more inclined towards cardio, purchase a jump rope and jump for 15–20 minutes a day.
- Focus on the basics of weight training. Nobody starts out curling or bench pressing . Begin your weight training with simple, reliable workouts that effectively build muscle. Start doing 4 to 8 different exercises, making sure to work out different muscle groups. Don't go for heavy weight when you start—it's better to lift lighter and maintain the right form.[8] Good weight lifts include:
- Use a fitness app to track your progress. If you have a smartphone or tablet, download 1 or 2 fitness tracker apps to log your progress and monitor weekly improvements. Using an app can help motivate you to work out regularly, by allowing you to track calories, steps, sleep cycles, and other elements related to exercise and health.[9] Try out apps like:
- MyFitnessPal, which allows you to track calories in the food you eat and features a step counter.
- Sworkit, which provides exercise videos that show you how to perform over 200 types of workout.
- MapMyRun, which will present you with multiple route options in your area based on how far and long you want to run for.
- Find a workout buddy for accountability. It's easy to get burned out on exercise if you're doing it alone. To prevent this fatigue, find a friend who wants to start an exercise program too. Ask if they'd like to join you on your bi-weekly trips to the gym, or a daily jog. Having a friend or 2 around to work out with will help keep you accountable and ensure that you stick to your exercise schedule.[10]
- If you have a friend who already regularly works out, ask if you can join in on their schedule.
EditImplementing a Workable Routine - Select days and times when you can exercise. This will help the exercise regimen become a habit. In order to integrate this into your lifestyle, you'll need to make it a priority.[11] To do this, set aside a time at least a few days a week. For example, plan to run for an hour every morning a 7am. Or, plan to hit the gym on Mondays from 6 to 8 pm.
- Getting over the initial hump will be the hardest part. If you exercise sporadically, whenever you feel like it, you'll fail to start an effective habit.
- Start with some simple exercises. For general-purpose exercise, it's best to develop a well-rounded exercise regimen. As you figure out what exercises you prefer, you can later tailor your regimen and goals towards these exercises. Focus on strength training and cardio workouts at first.[12]
- Try incorporating cardiovascular activity to your workouts. Start out simple with walking or running, whether on a treadmill or a trail. Do this for 20 minutes, 3-5 times a week.
- Incorporate strength-training exercises (like free weights or weight machines) into your weekly workouts too. Exercise all of your major muscle groups (chest and arms, legs, and core) at least twice a week.
- Put together a fun exercise playlist. You'll be more motivated to start exercise—and to keep going—if you have energetic music to listen to. Put together an hour's worth of upbeat rock, pop, or hip-hop songs. Listening to music while exercising will distract you from the pain your muscles are in, and motivate you to push your body.[13]
- Or, if you don't have time to put your own playlist together, find pre-made workout playlists on music streaming sites like Spotify or Pandora.
- Sneak in a few mini-workouts throughout the day. You don't have to spend hours at the gym in order to exercise. There are plenty of short, effective workouts you can do during the day, whether at an office building or your home.[14] You can work out at your office or work desk and get in some cardio exercise without even leaving your office.
- For example, if you work in an office building, take a 20-minute walk during lunch. Or, jog up and down the stairs for 15 minutes to raise your heart rate.
- Or, every 2 hours, take a 10-minute break to do 30 push-ups and 30 sit-ups.
- Don't exhaust yourself in the early phases of exercising. At the beginning, it's very important to know what you're capable of and listen to your body. Once you find yourself getting very short of breath, or your legs feel weak and wobbly, it's time to stop running. Or, if your arms are shaking and you're worried you may drop a weight on yourself, stop lifting immediately.
- If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.
- Allow recovery time after each workout. Give your body 1 day off to recover between sessions. You may not be able to exercise tomorrow, but you'll be able to exercise in the long run. Don't work out the same muscle group two days in a row—the muscles are literally ripping as you strengthen them.[15]
- For strength training, it's very important to give your muscles 24 to 48 hours to repair themselves. Let them heal. If your muscles are still sore after 1 day off, add an extra off-day to be safe.
EditCreating New Habits - Make new goals that reflect your improving fitness level. When you feel it's time, reassess your fitness level. If you've already met your weight-loss goal, you can decide if you want to lose more weight, or start thinking about muscle definition instead. If your goal was to bench press , keep working and set a new goal of benching .
- Your expanded goals don't have to be limited to the gym. Have you been hiking that one trail without fail and with ease since you started? Time for the harder one.
- Or, lengthen the amount of time you work out. Instead of working out twice a week for 20 minutes, start working out 4 times a week for 30 minutes.
- As another alternative, if you're happy with the way your body looks and the amount of muscle tone you've gained, you can set a new goal to maintain your current strength and appearance.
- Try different types of workouts and exercises. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling or rowing. If you crave more variety, don't stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing.[16]
- As you explore activities, you'll most likely find something that tickles your fancy. When you do, latch onto it. Was swing dancing surprisingly enjoyable? Great! That's one more hour each week you'll stay moving.
- If you've been running that same 5k five days a week, take it outside. Find a new trail, start running at night, or start for a 7k. If that's not enough, pick up a new activity entirely. A yoga fan? Try Pilates. Always wanted to try kickboxing? Go for it.
- Build up the frequency of your exercise sessions. As you progress, you'll find that your routine is just too easy. It may be tempting to be content with that, but push yourself. For example, it's smart to start exercising with 2 workouts per week. After 6 months at this rate, add a third exercise sessions per week. Then, in another month, add a fourth and fifth.[17]
- You can also alternate different types of workouts. For example, hit the gym on Tuesday and Thursday, and run a couple miles on Monday and Wednesday.
- If your goal is weight loss, know that is 3,500 calories. You need to create a 500 calories a day deficit by reducing your caloric intake and working out (if you're on a balanced diet) to lose a week. Or, create a deficit of 500 calories every other day to lose in 2 weeks.
- Don't force yourself to do exercises that you hate. Going to the gym does not have to be your only option. If you like swimming, dancing, or hiking, great! These are all exercises, too.
- Finding friends to exercise with can keep you motivated and hold you accountable to meet your exercise goals.[18]
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Remove Mildew Smell from Clothing Posted: 22 Aug 2018 01:00 AM PDT If damp clothes sit for too long, they can develop an unpleasant, musty smell due to the presence of mildew. In addition, mildew in your washing machine can leave the same smell in your clothes, even if you dry them immediately after you wash them. Luckily, there are a few simple tricks you can try that should leave your clothes smelling fresh and clean. EditGetting Rid of Mildew Smell in the Wash - Replace your laundry detergent with of vinegar. Plain white vinegar is a safe and natural method to remove bad odors from your laundry, including the smell of mildew. In addition to killing the bacteria that cause odor, vinegar strips away most of the product buildup that could be trapping odor in your clothes.[1]
- If you like, you can use half the detergent you normally use in combination with the vinegar, as long as the detergent is not made from a natural soap.[2]
- Vinegar breaks down the fats in natural soaps, such as castile soap, rendering both ineffective if the two are combined.[3]
- Wash your clothes with of baking soda if they still smell bad. Vinegar and baking soda both kill mold and mildew, but they attack different strains of these odor-causing bacteria. If you've already tried vinegar and your clothes still smell moldy, add of baking soda into the wash, and run the cycle with the hottest water possible.[4]
- It may help to add a little vinegar into the rinse cycle after washing with baking soda.
- Use oxygen bleach or borax if you prefer a commercial detergent. Regular detergent may not be able to kill mildew, so if you prefer to use a stronger, store-bought detergent, opt for one containing oxygen bleach, or dissolve borax in hot water and add it to the wash.[5]
- You can use oxygen bleach in place of your regular detergent, but borax is usually used in addition to detergent.
- Use an enzyme odor remover for mildew caused by sweat. If you accidentally leave your damp workout clothes in your gym bag, the combination of mildew and body odor makes it especially difficult to get the smell out of the fabrics. Choose a product that has enzymes for destroying odor, then add it to your wash.[6]
- Some commercial laundry detergents contain odor-fighting enzymes, or you can purchase a bottle of laundry booster that you use in addition to your regular detergent.
EditTrying Other Methods - Dry your clothes outside if you have the option. After you machine wash your clothes, use clothespins to clip them to a line outside, and let the fresh air and sunlight dry your clothes naturally. Sunlight can kill some of the bacteria that create unpleasant odors on your clothes, which is why line-drying leaves clothes smelling so fresh.[7]
- This method works better on natural fibers like cotton and wool than it does for synthetic fabrics like spandex or nylon.
- Over time, exposing your fabrics to sunlight will bleach their color.
- Put your clothes in the freezer if you don't want to wash them. Exposing odor-causing bacteria to extremely cold temperatures may kill them, helping to reduce the smell of mildew in your clothes. Just place the garment in a resealable plastic bag and put the bag in the freezer overnight.[8]
- It might seem unusual, but freezing their clothes is a long-time secret weapon of denim lovers who want to extend the life of their jeans.
- Spritz the item with white vinegar or vodka and let it dry. Both white vinegar and vodka can be used to kill the bacteria that causes mildew odors, and since they are odorless after they evaporate, you can spray them directly onto your garment. Just pour the liquid into a spray bottle, saturate the item, and let it air-dry for the freshest result.[9]
- If you're in a hurry, place the item in the dryer instead of air drying.
- Seal the item in a bag with activated charcoal. Activated charcoal has a powerful filtration effect, which is why it is used in water and air filters, treatments for poisoning, beauty products, and more. Place the item into a sealable plastic bag containing several tablets of activated charcoal, and leave it in there at least overnight. For really tough odors, you may need to leave the item in the bag for up to a week.[10]
- You can buy activated charcoal at pet supply stores, vitamin and nutrition shops, and some big-box retail centers.
EditPreventing Mildew from Returning - Hang damp clothes up to dry right away. Whether it's the towel you used after your shower or your workout gear after an hour at the gym, don't just throw your damp clothes on the floor or into the laundry basket. Instead, drape your wet clothes on the side of the laundry basket or hang them over the shower rod to dry out before they go into the laundry.[11]
- Balling up wet clothes will cause them to stay wet longer, giving mildew a better chance to grow.
- Use the recommended amount of detergent. Overusing laundry detergent can lead to a buildup of soap suds that never get completely rinsed out in the wash. This residue then feeds the odor-causing bacteria, leaving even your cleanest clothes with a funky smell. Each time you wash your clothes, measure your detergent carefully to make sure you don't add too much.[12]
- Follow the guidelines on your detergent packaging to know how much to add. When in doubt, add a little less detergent than you think you need.
- Don't use fabric softener on your workout clothes. Fabric softener leaves your clothes feeling soft and smelling good, but when it's used on stretchy, synthetic workout clothes, it leaves a slick residue that is nearly impossible to remove. This residue then keeps water from penetrating the fabric, meaning your clothes will smell bad even when they're clean.[13]
- Fabric softener residue will also promote the growth of bacteria in much the same way as using too much detergent.
- Dry your clothes immediately after you wash them. Leaving your clean clothes in the washing machine will cause them to start developing mildew after just a few hours, or even sooner if the weather is really hot and humid. Try to move them over to the dryer or line-dry them as soon as possible after you wash them.[14]
- If you do accidentally leave your laundry in the washing machine for too long, run them through another cycle with some vinegar to help get rid of the smell before you dry them.
- Don't store your clothes in damp rooms like the bathroom or basement. If you keep your clothing in a damp basement or in a humid environment like the bathroom, moisture from the environment will be absorbed by the fabric, leading to the growth of mildew. Instead, keep your clothes in a well-ventilated closet or a dresser.[15]
- Plastic dry-cleaner bags can also trap moisture and lead to mildew on your clothing.
- If the air in your room is extremely humid, place a desiccant like silica gel packets into your dresser drawers or the bottom of your closet. You can purchase these from craft or home improvement stores.
- Clean your washing machine if your clothes smell worse after washing. Sometimes washing machines, especially front-loading models, can develop mildew, which can then be transferred to your clothes. If you think the washing machine might be the problem, dip a rag in hot, soapy water and clean the gasket around the door and any detergent dispensers, then pour in of bleach and of baking soda and run a regular or cleaning cycle.[16]
- If you like, you can add of an enzymatic detergent for extra odor-killing powder.
- To prevent mildew from forming in your washing machine, leave the door cracked after each cycle so the machine will dry out, and always remove wet clothes right away.
- If you are dealing with a large amount of mildew, wear a respirator to protect yourself from breathing in mold spores.
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