For People Who Do Not Regularly Exercise, We Recommend Starting with Walking.
Walking is a great way to begin to move your body, use your muscles, and get your heart pumping a little bit. It can be done almost anywhere and doesn't require any special equipment. And here in Hawaii, your walks will be beautiful.
Start: Walk and Count Your Steps
To get started, we recommend that you begin to count the number of steps you take each day. No need to buy a step counter- both Android and Apple phones have free step counter apps.
Open this page in your phone, and then click on the correct link below to access the app in the App Store.
Android: Click here and download the Step Counter app
Apple: Click here and download the Pedometer and Step Counter app into your iPhone
First Week
Spend the first week establishing a baseline of how many steps you take each day. At the end of each day, write down in an exercise log how many steps you took that day. This will give us a starting point.
After the First Week
We recommend increasing the number of steps you take each day by 10- 20% per week. So, for example, if you found that you were averaging 1000 steps/day during the first week, we would recommend increasing that to 1100 - 1200 steps/day during the second week, around 1400 steps/day during the third week, and around 1600 steps/day during the fourth week, and so on. Just multiply this week's steps times 1.1 or 1.2 to get next week's goal. If you're feeling strong, you can carry some two pound weights in your hands as you walk.
After the First Month
After the first month of walking, you can continue to walk, increasing your steps by 20% each week. Your goal is to get to 5000 steps/day.
After a Month of Walking, We Add Beginner Exercise
After a month of walking, you should be ready to take on some additional exercise. The next page has some more exercise options you can look at and try.