Wellness Center. “After establishing a baseline for two to three weeks, they can gradually increase the duration or introduce interval training.”
Over time, the goal can be to work up to 30 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio, she said.
Moderate intensity means exercising hard enough to raise the heart rate and breathing while still being able to carry on a conversation.
Pryor said beginners also can incorporate resistance training two to three days a week. A basic program should target the body’s major muscle groups, including the chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes.
A typical resistance training session can last 45 to 60 minutes, beginning with a five- to 10-minute warmup.
She said one approach is to organize exercises into circuits:
- Chest press machine
- Row machine
- Hamstring curls
- Leg extensions
- Shoulder press machine
- Biceps curls (a resistance exercise that targets the biceps brachii and supporting arm muscles by flexing the elbow to lift a weight toward the shoulder)
- Triceps extensions (exercises that work the muscles on the back of the upper arms)
- Hip abduction machine (a machine that strengthens the hip muscles by pushing the legs toward the adjustable weight)
Beginners can aim for three sets of 12 repetitions of each exercise, with larger muscle groups generally targeted before smaller ones, said Pryor.
But it is important to remember that muscles need time to recover between resistance training sessions. Beginners should generally allow 24 to 48 hours between workouts that target the same muscles, said the experts.
“Most common mistakes are overdoing the exercise program, particularly early on when the individual is unaccustomed to training,” said Perry. “That’s why we see delayed onset muscle soreness, more often in beginners just starting their exercise program.”
Recovery can help reduce the risk of injury and overuse while allowing the muscles to adapt and become stronger.
If combining aerobic and resistance training, it’s best to separate them on alternate days. To save time, however, some people combine both on one day, with resistance training first and moderate aerobic training second, said Perry.
Workouts should finish with a five- to 10-minute cooldown period performed at low intensity, ending with stretching, said Perry.
Some overachievers may go for two hours in an exercise session.
Perry said this is not necessarily a bad thing if they have worked up to that level.
“A typical, combined cardio and resistance workout might last 60 to 90 minutes, but there is no rule that says every workout must last exactly one hour—or that exercising for more than 90 minutes is automatically excessive,” she added.
But Perry warned that moderation and patience is the key.
“Remember, if it takes someone 10 or 20 years to get out of shape, it is going to take longer than one or two weeks to get back in shape,” said Perry. “One must be patient about seeing results when starting any exercise program for the first time.”
