Exercise is really good for you, and there's a ton of benefits to reap from it. Just have a look at our article on 'Basic Exercise' to get started. Once you've worked your way up to some regular cardio sessions in the week, you can try some basic Interval Training to boost your fitness even further.

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WHAT IS

INTERVAL TRAINING?

 

Interval training essentially refers to a style of training where you do resistance training exercises in a circuit fashion - meaning that you do one exercise after another, for several rounds.

It's good at helping you build up and maintain lean muscle mass, and is great for fat loss, especially when coupled with regular cardio training (like briskwalking, jogging, and cycling).

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WHAT DO I NEED?

 

MOTIVATION!

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You need to know WHY you are doing something. You need to understand that exercise is good for you - it minimises the risk of you getting Diabetes, Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia, it keeps you feeling fit and active through the day, it helps you sleep better, it helps you manage stress better, and it helps delay the onset of dementia.

 

There's a ton of reasons to exercise, but very few reasons not to.

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SELF-DISCIPLINE

 

Motivation is great and will get you started, but it can be a fickle thing. It's difficult to stay motivated when you work long hours, are too tired from work, or feel too sluggish to get moving. This is where self-discipline comes in.
 

Self-discipline is what keeps you going even when you don't want to, it's your inner sense of discipline that makes you maintain your exercise routine, even when you are busy with the rest of life.

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No-one can tell you when to exercise, you need to look at your own schedule, pick a time that you think will fit your daily life best, then stick to it. It can be easy to make excuses, but maintaining a regular exercise routine will be beneficial for you.

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To put this in perspective, when I was a junior doctor and was working long hours in a public hospital, I used to wake up at 4 in the morning EVERY DAY so I'd have time for my daily workout.

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SHOES

 

You need a good pair of running shoes to work out in. I sometimes see people going briskwalking in sandals or even slippers they find comfy - BAD IDEA. Working out in inappropriate footwear if a sure way to end up with a foot strain.

 

Wear comfortable running shoes, and change your shoes every 6 months, even if they look fine to you. The sole in running shoes often provides superior cushioning when
compared to other kinds of shoes, and will help protect the ligaments and tendons in your foot from overuse injuries as you exercise. However, this cushioning does wear out a bit over time, making changing your footwear regularly an important thing to do.

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It can be tempting to prefer nicer looking footwear over running shoes, especially when these other shoes are cheaper, or are marketed as 'walking shoes', but I'd still recommend sticking with a good pair of running shoes. Asics makes good shoes, you can check them out if you don't mind the hefty price tag.

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CLOTHES

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Wear something comfortable to exercise in. It can be tempting to want to use any 'leftover' clothes from the day before before you wash them, since they're already dirty, but you need to be able to vent excess heat off your body well, to feel comfortable while exercising, and minimise the risk of getting a heat injury.

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A 'dri-fit' material would be best to consider for these clothes. Wear a suitably-sized t-shirt/singlet and pair of shorts - make sure it isn't too small or too big.

 

Always wear socks when working out in your running shoes. Socks help protect your feet from minor abrasions, and help wick away any sweat to keep your feet relatively dry. Change your socks every time you work out - bacteria and fungus can grow in the wet fabric and cause foot infections.

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EQUIPMENT

 

For interval training, these bits of equipment are good to have:

 

AN EXERCISE MAT

 

Having an exercise mat will let you do your exercises on a clean, cushioned surface, rather than the hard (and dirty) floor. This is especially important for some leg and ab exercises. A cheap one works well, check out the 'Decathlon' store for really good deals.

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SOME RESISTANCE BANDS

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You can get some light resistance bands to use for your resistance training. If you can anchor the band to something like a doorframe, you can do a whole lot of upper body exercises with them. Be prudent when buying these bands, set your ego side and pick a resistance level that isn't too high, or you won't get very much use out of the bands.

 

You can find some cheap ones online, like on the 'Lazada' app.

 

LIGHT DUMBBELLS

 

A pair of light dumbbells will also help you do some resistance training. A common exercise that everyone thinks of when they look at a pair of dumbbells is the 'biceps curl', but there are actually a whole lot of other arm, shoulders, chest, back and legs exercises that you can use them for.

 

Again, be prudent when picking the weight on the dumbbells you buy - if you are just starting out, a half kilo or 1 kg weight might be better than buying a 20kg dumbbell set right off the bat.