1 . The smell of sweat, the noise of crashing weights and the muscular people in tank tops make the gym’s strength class or weight room seem forbidding, whether you’re a seasoned lifter or a complete beginner.

    1     Most benefits of strength training go beyond appearances. It subjects our bones to more pressure than our daily routines and increases muscle mass and bone density. Now that you know resistance training is important, here’s how to get started.

Set a goal that is attainable and improves your daily life.     2     That might mean pressing weight overhead to ensure you can put your luggage in the airplane’s overhead bin or doing weighted squats (深蹲) for hiking preparation.

The ideal way is to work one-on-one with an experienced certified trainer.     3     Look for one who not only guides you through workouts but also understands your unique journey and helps you reach your full potential.

Private training with friends or joining in small group classes is also a cost-effective way to get individual attention. While you might tend to position yourself in the back corner of the room, I suggest heading to the front where a coach can monitor your form and offer feedback.

    4     If you favor strength-training apps, opt for one with video demonstrations. If none of these are appealing, start at home with basic-level bodyweight exercises like squats.     5     Grab a gallon water jug, hug it to your chest and dive into a squat. This not only adds resistance but challenges your core muscles to sustain stability.

2 . With the weather warming up, the desire to kick-start a new fitness routine is very real. But after months locked indoors, you may feel as though you’re lack of exercise.     1     Working out with your partner can be a great way to boost inspiration. Here are our top tips for an exercise routine that’s built to last.

Pick something you both love.

If you love Pilates but your partner is all about lifting heavy weights, working out together might seem like an impossible task. While you can both stick to the activities you love,     2     Pick an activity you both love, or work towards a fitness goal together, like completing a fun run or half marathon.

    3    

Getting sweaty doesn’t sound like the most comfortable of activities, but there are things you can do to make it as enjoyable as possible. Invest in active wear that not only feels good but looks good, too. Dressing in workout gear that you’re excited about can make the difference on days when motivation might be lacking.

    4    It is ideal for wearing during sport or heavy-duty outdoor activities. It’s sweat resistant, with a dry-touch formula, while still offering UVA and UVB coverage.

Be supportive and have fun.

Trying a new outdoor fitness route, or running in front of strangers along the sand, can be a little discouraging, even if you’re doing it with the one you love,     5     Motivate each other to get out of bed on days and remind each other that you’re not working out just for looks. Getting your body moving has long-term benefits that far outweigh what can be seen from the outside.

And remember to have fun: trying something new is tricky but finding something you both love and enjoy means you’ll have a healthy habit for life.

4 . In a time when many people around the globe are in lockdown (封锁) and unable to attend the gym, home exercising is becoming important. Fears of piling on the pounds are forcing many to find novel ways to move the body. You don’t need to pump iron or have expensive equipment like rowing and cycling machines to help you stay fit.

Exercising is not just important for your body, but also your mind. A study by Dr. Andrea Dunn at the Cooper Research Institute in Dallas, Texas found patients who did daily 35-minute walks per week experienced a 47% reduction in their depression (抑郁) levels.

Cardiovascular (心血管的) exercise, often simply called cardio, is designed to keep your heart rates up, which in turn will strengthen your heart and improve your general fitness. Many of us are turning to activities like skipping with an old rope, or watching one of the many “fitness experts” who produce exercise videos online.

Walking is another great activity to help you increase your blood circulation. There are many affordable pedometers which can be worn like a watch and used to track your steps, heart rates and sleeping patterns. You don’t even have to step outside, with many people simply doing some power walking or running round their gardens or up and down their hallways.

Practicing yoga or Tai Chi can help to increase our body flexibility, which in turn can lower joint pain and help to protect us from injury. Finally, strength and resistance training can be done at home by simply lifting bags of rice or boxes instead of heavy weights in the gym.

There are many ways to help us stay active, and indeed these exercise habits can be carried over in our lives long after lockdown is lifted. For those of us who complain about our busy lives stopping us from hitting the gym, ten minutes a day with a rope or a bag of rice may not only help our fitness, but our mental health too.