how to start exercising when you’re out of shape

‍ ‍"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." - Arthur Ashe

For me, getting started with anything is almost always the hardest part. But starting an exercise routine after being out of the game for a while - and being out of shape to boot - can feel overwhelming. Throw in some negative self-talk, low motivation, and low energy, and it can feel like Sisyphus trying to roll that damn rock up the hill.

Why Starting Exercise Feels So Hard When You're Out of Shape

"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

I don’t remember exactly how many years passed between my last cycle of starting and quitting the gym and the day I began this experiment, but it had definitely been a while. Excuses and rationalizations turned into time. Time turned into atrophy, weight gain, and discouragement. It was kind of like the frog in a pot of water - by the time I realized how much trouble I was in, I was cooked.

At that point, I knew I needed to start exercising again, but I was embarrassed that I had let myself get there in the first place, and overwhelmed by what to do about it. The weight gain and loss of mobility over the years had left me with knee and back pain, to the point that I wasn’t even sure how much I could do.

Like most people, I already knew how important exercise was - not just for the body, but for the mind as well. Exercise isn’t a cure-all, but it’s about as close as we’ve got. Information wasn’t the problem. The real problem, at least for me, was the overwhelm, the lack of motivation, and the self-doubt. After all, I had been down this road many times before, and I had failed.

The thought of going back to the gym sounded about as appealing as a colonoscopy. A room full of people in much better shape than me, stronger than me, and looking like they could be on the cover of Muscle & Fitness. To be clear, I have nothing but respect for those people. But it took me a long time to realize that just wasn’t me - and even longer to realize that was okay.

The Mistake of Trying to Do Too Much Too Soon

"Some people spend their entire lives waiting for the time to be right to make an improvement." -James Clear

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"No pain, no gain." "Do it right or don’t do it at all." Those are the kinds of sayings that used to pop into my head when I was trying to motivate myself for long, hard workouts at the gym. The problem is, for me, those sayings were bullshit. I’m not saying they don’t have value for some people. If they work for you, that’s great. But all that mentality ever gave me was the feeling of failure. Other people seemed to be able to do it, so why couldn’t I? I used to think there must be something wrong with me.

I also used to wait for the "right time" to start exercising. In other words, I felt like I needed to find the motivation, attitude, energy, and time before I could begin. I learned the hard way that the only way I ever found those things was through action. I was never able to "find" motivation, time, or energy until I got my ass moving. The only time those things ever showed up was after I had already started.

You might be thinking, But Kevin, what if I don’t know what action to take? I’d say this: neither did I.

Another thing I found out - mostly by accident - was that I didn’t need fancy workout equipment, a coach, or even a real workout plan to get started. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, so it took me a while to figure out that this ain’t long division. It’s actually pretty simple. Just get moving, be consistent, and I’d bet dollars to doughnuts your body and mind will start to change for the better. I’d also bet you start finding some of those things you thought you were missing, like time, energy, and motivation.

It’s been my experience that going too hard too early set me up for failure. It created an all-or-nothing mindset that never worked for me. Looking back, I basically made my workout plan too small to fail in the beginning. Pretty much anyone who is willing can do a couple of minutes a few times a week.

Paying for a gym membership - or going back to the gym you’ve already been paying for - with all the equipment, coaching, and everything else doesn’t mean much if you can’t sustain it. That’s another lesson I had to learn the hard way.

Why Starting Small Helped Me Exercise Consistently

"Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity." - Bruce Lee

I wish I could tell you my two-minute workout was part of some master plan - that I had studied the science and carefully mapped it all out. But that would be bullshit. The truth is, I was desperate. I knew I needed to do something, but I would have rather set myself on fire than get back on the start-the-gym, quit-the-gym roller coaster again.

The truth is, because of my lack of motivation, I didn’t want to do anything. But I also knew doing nothing wasn’t an option anymore. I needed to do something - anything - if for no other reason than to be able to tell myself I had done it. So I made a deal with myself: one set of push-ups, a few times a week. That was it.

The other part of the agreement was just as important: once I finished that one set of push-ups, I was done for the day. I talked about this a bit in my post about routine. I know it probably sounds crazy, but stopping after that one set mattered to me. It kept me coming back. Why? Because it was easy. It was a win-win. I was exercising regularly, and I wasn’t biting off more than I could chew.

Once again, I wish I could tell you I had some grand plan when I decided to stop after that one set, but that’s just not what was going on at the time. The truth is, I just wanted to be done. It was all I was willing to do. Over time, those two minutes turned into five, then fifteen, and so on. But honoring that agreement with myself - stopping after I had done what I said I would do - was always part of it. It wasn’t until later that I realized how important that part of the routine really was.

Years later, I listened to Atomic Habits by James Clear. He talked about some of the same ideas: short workouts, consistency, stopping after a certain amount of time, and building habits through small actions. I can’t tell you how big that was for me. It validated that what I had been doing for years wasn’t crazy.

At the time, I honestly didn’t think those short workouts were doing much. It’s not like I was dropping a bunch of weight and looking like a bodybuilder. I didn’t have any proof that those tiny workouts were doing a damn bit of good. What I didn’t understand then was that it wasn’t just about what I was doing during those workouts. It was also about building a habit and proving to myself, over and over, that I could take action.

I know in my heart that the exercise habit I have today was built on the foundation of those short workouts years ago. And it all started with one badly done set of push-ups.

Start With What You’re Actually Willing to Do

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu

In the beginning, it was important for me to be honest with myself. I had to figure out what I was actually willing to do. That was huge for me, and it’s the main reason I didn’t quit like I had so many times before. I realized that doing small things consistently was more powerful than grinding through a few months of harder workouts I was never going to sustain.

If your first workouts are a five-minute walk, three push-ups, or two minutes of anything, that’s a great place to start. Whatever you’re willing to do consistently is where your journey begins.

I learned that I didn’t need a rigid plan, and I didn’t need to overthink it. All I had to do was take some easy action and allow it to evolve from there.

In my humble opinion, there is nothing weak or embarrassing about starting small. Quite the opposite. I know from experience that starting small can lead you down a road you’ll be proud of.

How to Stay Consistent With Exercise

"The only way to achieve your fitness goals is to show up every day, even when you don’t feel like it." - Dwayne Johnson

When I began this journey, to say I was out of shape would be an understatement. But once I forced myself to get started, my mindset began to improve pretty quickly because I felt like I was finally doing something. Even though it wasn’t much, it felt like a win.

It was important for me to keep things simple. I didn’t have a perfect plan. It was all about doing small workouts regularly - even when I didn’t want to, and especially when I didn’t want to. And believe me, I rarely wanted to. But because I made it so incredibly easy, I did it anyway. Once that ball got rolling, my mindset changed, my routine evolved, and then my body began to change as well.

In the very beginning, I’d encourage you to start smaller than your ego wants to. Do less than you think you should. Focus on consistency over intensity, and allow your routine to evolve naturally over time. Because in my mind, as long as you’re showing up, you’re winning.

Summary

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped." - Tony Robbins

I was pretty stressed out about starting to exercise when I was so out of shape. My ridiculous self-talk was turning something simple into a huge deal. The irony is that exercise actually helps reduce stress.

Looking back, all that stress was manufactured in my head: I don’t know where to begin. I’ve never been able to stick with it, so why even try? I don’t have time. Exercising sucks. And on and on.

If any of this sounds familiar, my humble advice is to cut all that bullshit loose. Just force yourself to do something small - so small that you’ll be willing to do it again the next day, and the day after that. Pretty soon, exercise won’t suck quite so much. Hell, you might even start enjoying it.