How to start doing sports

“Today I really will start doing sports!” Does this sound familiar? You probably already know that exercise is good for your physical and mental health. Despite this, many people still find it difficult to find the motivation for regular workouts, or to even get started at all. Maybe you don’t feel comfortable alone in the gym, or you still haven’t found a sport that you like. Don’t worry! We’ll show you that moving your body is fun, as well as how you can establish a long-term exercise routine, stay active with other people, and improve your health.

Why should you start doing sports?

Before we give you tips on how to get started, you may want to know why you should do it in the first place. To that end, we’ll show you some of the most significant benefits of starting an exercise program for your body.

Benefits for your physical health

• It improves physical fitness
• It strengthens your immune system and cardiovascular function
• It prevents diseases and reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity
• It increases physical performance and concentration
• It improves coordination and flexibility

Benefits for your mental health

• It reduces stress levels
• It improves your overall mood
• It improves sleep quality
• It offers the possibility of meeting new people

Which challenges will you face if you want to start doing sports?

Maybe you’ve tried several times to start exercising, but it’s never quite worked. After a few days, everyday life caught up with you, and exercise had to take a back seat again. We’ll show you some of the typical obstacles that you, as well as many others, have to face. We’ll also give you three tips on how to overcome them.

Typical obstacles:

• Lack of time
• No motivation
• Social inhibition
• Cost
• Lack of specific training knowledge
• Illness or injuries
• Bad experiences in the past

How do you get started with exercise? These 3 tips will show you!

1. Find a sport that you enjoy

Don’t fancy going jogging? Then it’s very likely that, before you even start, you won’t feel like it, and you’ll be in a bad mood. So why try to force yourself? There are so many sports and wellness activities that one of them is sure to suit your preferences and physical condition! Do you prefer something a little more spiritual and calm? Do you feel more like focusing on wellness? Do you love outdoor adventures and an adrenaline boost? With an Urban Sports Club membership, you can try out more than 50 sports and find a unique sports partner. You’re guaranteed to find a sport that you enjoy. Here are a few ideas for exercise and wellness to start with:

• Getting started with meditation
• Getting started with yoga or Pilates
• Getting started with fitness
• Bouldering for beginners
• Getting started with combat sports
• Getting started with Indoor Cycling
• Getting started with Padel
• The sauna after a workout

Of course, there are also many more possibilities! From swimming and boxing to dancing, everyone can find something to suit them. Just give it a try!

2. Set realistic goals and incorporate them into your daily life

Setting goals that you’re struggling to keep up with after just two weeks won’t exactly motivate you, and this often leads to giving up fairly quickly. That’s why it’s important to set goals that you feel you can achieve. You can always increase them over time if you realize that they weren’t enough. So first you need to consider what you want to achieve with exercising, and what you want to work on with which type of sport. Increase your overall fitness? Lose weight? Build muscle? Increase your stamina? Or perhaps just enjoy movement?

Once you have a goal in mind, define it as precisely as possible: “Next month I’ll work out twice a week.” instead of “Next month I’ll move more.” This will help you to plan accurately and stay on track. It also helps to plan your classes for the following week over the weekend, so that you can incorporate them directly into your daily life.

3. A training buddy will make it even more fun

Everything’s better with company – most of all, it provides motivation to not miss a training session. Sometimes it also feels safer to exercise with other people rather than alone. Maybe you don’t feel comfortable alone in the gym? Your training buddy can increase your sense of confidence. There are also lots of great sports that you can try out as a pair! From tennis to AcroYoga to dance – the fun is guaranteed. This will turn a training session into a unique experience and quality time with your favorite people.

What equipment do you need to start exercising?

There are many types of sports that don’t require any equipment. That means you can start right away! For sports like bouldering or tennis, you do need equipment, but you can usually get these on loan from our partner locations. You should only buy equipment if you know that you really enjoy the sport.

How do you stick with it in the long term?

It’s likely that your goal is to establish a long-term sports routine. We’ve got some more tips for you on how to stick with your chosen sport once you’ve successfully gotten started.

• Document your progress: Seeing your progress helps you to keep track of your improvement. It can also be really motivating to see what you have already achieved!
• Create varied training plans: Different types of sports and different training methods will help you bring variety to your workouts. Trying out new things is also more fun and will help you to target different muscle groups and train the whole body.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself and celebrate your successes: A positive attitude and realistic goals, for example, focusing on progress and achievements instead of setbacks, will keep you feeling good. So celebrate your successes with a good meal or a wellness check-in. You’ve earned it!

How do you create an exercise plan?

It’s always difficult at the beginning. That’s why it’s important to make sure fun is a priority before you create your first exercise plan. If you’re not used to exercise, your body will enjoy all types of movement and exercise. So you don’t have to create a plan right away. However, if over time you start to feel that you’d like to do more specific training, you can come up with an exercise plan, preferably with the help of a coach. A whole-body training plan for beginners usually contains basic exercises that you can do easily at home or in the gym. These are mostly exercises that you can do with your own body weight. This will allow you to increase your overall fitness and avoid overloading your joints and muscles.

Pay attention to your diet

For all-round benefits for your body, you should pay attention to your diet as well as exercise. All bodies are different, so there is no single diet that suits everyone. If you’re unsure which diet is best for you, it’s best to seek medical advice. Besides vegan sports nutrition and intermittent fasting, there is a wide range of alternatives. It’s also a good idea to do regular health checks in order to find out what your body needs.

Why it’s important to recover after exercise

Especially if you are only just starting with exercise, you should make sure not to overdo it. Give your body enough time to recover after exercise. Plan your week so that you have days that are purely for recovery. On these days you can use the sauna in the gym, for example, or indulge in some self-care. Make relaxation just as much of a priority as exercise!

Which sports have you already tried? Do you do any exercise that you particularly enjoy? Tell us more in the comments!