John Preston, Personal Trainer

Today’s post is brought to you by John Preston at Cheshire Personal Trainer.
I met John recently and was impressed by the open, inclusive and down-to-earth attitude toward health and fitness at his Gym in Stockport.
So, I asked him if he would write something that would encourage people who have been out of the exercise loop for a while (or perhaps never in it!) and give some advice on how to start.
A big thanks (and dips) to John for
his expert advice in his own words
and stay tuned for some exciting food and fitness collaborations in the near future

Getting Started With Exercise 

Ok, enough is enough…….time to make some changes to my diet and lifestyle!

I’m going to really try to eat the right things……….

I’m going to start exercising and get fitter…………

Sound familiar?

There are lots of reasons why people just like you struggle to get an effective exercise program in place and quite often it’s down to barriers such as:

I’m not fit enough to exercise

I don’t have time

I don’t want to join a gym

I don’t know how

As a full time personal trainer in Stockport and Manchester I hear plenty of barriers to exercise (commonly known as excuses)

The trick is finding the right type of exercise for you—one that you can easily fit into your schedule and that is something you actually enjoy. To help you make a start and get active, here are a few tips:

1.       Don’t Overdo It

It sounds cliché, but starting with the basics—walking before running, covering short distances before long distances is key for exercise newbies or even for more experienced exercisers who are trying to pick up some new moves.

Starting simple and perfecting form will also inspire confidence, avoid injury and allow an inexperienced exerciser to build one step at a time.

2.       Use the Buddy System

If you’re starting a fitness program for the first time, a good way to break in is by starting with a class or finding someone to start with you. For some people, training with a friend or within a group can be a great motivator.

Even if you don’t know anyone in a group fitness class on the first day, in time you’re bound to make friends. Knowing they will be at sessions and expecting you to be there is a great incentive to get to class.

3.       Challenge Yourself

While staying within bounds of what your body is capable of, working up to something and doing workouts that increase in difficulty is a great way to stay motivated.

People definitely seem to respond well to having the feeling of achieving something, so pick up the pace, add extra reps or try something tougher if rewards are what you crave.

4.       It’s not all about the cardio

If you’re looking to lose some body fat then endless hours on the treadmill or cross trainer aren’t going to help.

This type of exercise (apart from being a bit dull) will burn a few calories while you do it but not much else.

Try to get in plenty of resistance (free weights or body weights) to develop lean muscle and drive your metabolism through the roof.

Here’s a few links to some basic workouts I have suggested previously on my own website –

Lower Body Workout

Upper Body Workout For Women

If you are going to do cardio then it’s H.I.I.T.
all the way – High Intensity Interval Training
Ask at your local gym which classes are on and have
a go to see what suits you.

5.       Keep changing the exercise

Ever started an exercise regime and after a month it’s just not having the effect any more?

You have started to become conditioned to that group of exercises. It’s time to change your routine and shock your body with something new.

Try a different workout about every 3 weeks. If you go to a gym then the instructors should write you a different program at no cost.

6.       Goal setting – This is REALLY important!

Long term – by summer / Xmas / when the divorce comes through  ;-)  I want to be……..

Medium term – by the end of next month I want to be

Short term – end of next week?

I will often say to my clients, choose an item of clothing that you can get into but if you lost a couple of pounds would fit perfectly. Hang that on the outside of your wardrobe where you can see it every day.

How good will you feel when that outfit looks amazing after a couple of weeks!

7.       Last of all – Have fun!

If you hate what you are doing then change it.

Find an activity that you like and start with that.

If you are engaging in an activity that you find enjoyable then you will work harder. The more you put in, the better the results.

All the best!

John Preston
Director / Personal trainer at www.cheshirepersonaltrainer.co.uk