Why Is It Important To Ease Into an Exercise Program?

When you’re setting out on a new fitness journey, it can be easy to forget to pace yourself. You might get inspired by your favorite content creators or super-fit friends and decide to just go for it. Whether you’re a total beginner, trying again to establish an exercise routine after many false starts, or finding your way back to the gym after a long hiatus, feeling motivated to start exercising is an exciting moment—and you might be tempted to go overboard. (Why is it important to ease into an exercise program, anyway?) But to ensure success, it’s better to slow down a bit and consider your current fitness level, as well as any risk factors, such as injuries or obesity. The real key to reaching your fitness goals is to establish a routine that’s actually sustainable, so you’ll keep showing up and seeing results—not burn out within a month. Here are some reasons experts say it’s important to ease into an exercise program rather than go all-out right from the get-go.

Consistency trumps intensity—especially for newbies.

You’ve probably heard the saying that the best exercise is the one you’ll do. When you’re building the habit of regular exercise, goal number one is to find a routine that feels good to you and to just keep moving. Though your social media feeds imply otherwise, you don’t need to be pouring sweat on a spin bike, hitting the Pilates reformer, or pumping major iron to make major progress. “Movement is valid even if it doesn’t look like a workout class or video,” says Supriya Rao, a physician quadruple-board-certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine. One of her favorite options for new exercisers is ultra-simple: walking. “So many people underestimate the power of walking,” Dr. Rao says. “It’s free, you can start today, and you already know how to do it.” She also loves how walking can easily be paired with something else you enjoy—walking your dog, listening to music or a favorite podcast, or chatting with a friend. When you enjoy your exercise routine, you’re much more likely to stick with it and gradually up your intensity, frequency, or duration.

You don’t need to feel exhausted to get results.

For those who aren’t bodybuilders—or trying to build an online following—it’s not necessary to do an elaborate fitness routine to reap the many benefits of exercise. Research shows that simply raising your activity levels through regular, gentle aerobic activity, like walking, swimming, or slow-paced biking, quickly starts to bank major health benefits. For instance, by elevating your heart rate, it helps circulate blood to your muscles more efficiently, increasing your stamina. Over time, cardio can help lower your blood pressure and encourage weight loss, both of which can help prevent heart disease down the road. You’ll also notice improvements to your mental health, thanks to all those endorphins, which can help motivate you to keep your fitness program going. As exercise begins to feel like second nature, you can slowly build to moderate intensity and beyond, depending on what your fitness goals are.

Easing in will help minimize your risk of injury.

When your body isn’t used to regular exercise or specific types of movement—like hoisting heavy dumbbells or running long distances—the risk of injury is high. The most common workout injuries include sprains and overuse injuries, like tendinitis and shin splints. You can help avoid these by easing into an exercise program, beginning with low- to moderate-intensity exercises. This way, your body has time to build endurance, strength, and range of motion without being overstressed, and your muscles and joints have a chance to adjust to your new levels of physical activity. When starting an exercise program, take your time learning proper form and technique, which will also prevent injuries now and in the future. Rather than jump right into using weights for resistance training, try body-weight exercises like push-ups, or using resistance bands. When tempted to go too fast or push too hard, remember—an injury has the potential to set your exercise goals back a lot. To further reduce your risk of injury, it’s also important to build a five-minute warm-up and cool-down into your workout routine.

It will also help prevent burnout and frustration.

Going from zero to gym rat can leave your energy levels totally depleted, making it tougher to maintain a workout routine—and more likely you’ll soon face burnout. At the same time, you might get resentful that while you’re so sore you can barely move, and can hardly keep your eyes open by 7 p.m., the scale isn’t moving. A better plan is to pace yourself so your body has time to build up stamina, and you enjoy the endorphins and positive momentum while you wait to see results. It’s important to stay tuned in to how your body feels. If you’re feeling exhausted or really sore, take a day or two off—just do some stretching or go for a gentle walk to keep your momentum and your new exercise program going.

You need your rest. (It’s key to seeing results.)

On that note, overdoing it can actually prevent you from seeing results. Doing an intense workout every single day can definitely feel like the fast track to a fit bod, but exercise pros will tell you that letting your body recover is a necessary part of building muscle and burning fat. Your exercise plan should include complete rest days or light recovery days, where you avoid any vigorous activity. After lifting weights, you should take at least a day off from resistance training, doing only gentle, restorative exercise. Same goes for intense cardio workouts like HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Even for experienced exercisers, overtraining can lead to plateaus. To maintain your routine on recovery days, you can do gentle yoga, stretching, or a relaxing walk outside.

If you have obesity, easing in won’t over-stress your system.

Your body, including your cardiovascular system, needs time to adjust to exercise—especially if you have obesity or other health conditions. “When you’re living with obesity, your body may be carrying 50, 100, or even more pounds than it was designed to handle. That extra weight can place significant strain on your joints, heart, and metabolism—so starting gently isn’t just smart, it’s protective,” says endocrinologist Maria Teresa Anton, MD, an educator at Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami. She suggests starting with low-impact activities like walking, water aerobics, or chair-based strength training exercises, and when you’re tempted to push too hard, keeping in mind that even 5 to 10 minutes of exercise a day can spark improvements in insulin sensitivity, circulation, and mood. “At Pritikin, we often say, ‘Start where you are, not where you think you should be,’” she says. “Progress builds from there.”