How to start working out: a simple first month from zero

To start working out from zero, walk on most days and add two short full-body strength sessions a week, at an effort where you can still talk. Build up over a month or two toward the World Health Organization's target: 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus strength training on two or more days. If you have a health condition or haven't been active in a long time, talk to a doctor before you start.

The target, and why you don't start there

The WHO's 2020 guidelines ask adults for 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity), plus muscle-strengthening work for all the major muscle groups on two or more days. If that sounds like a lot from where you're sitting, you have plenty of company: the WHO estimates that 31% of adults worldwide don't reach the recommended levels.

The same guidelines include two sentences worth writing on a sticky note. Doing some physical activity is better than doing none. And you should start with small amounts and gradually increase how often, how hard and how long. The target is where you're headed, not a test you have to pass on day one.

One more thing from the WHO, because beginners love to skip it: muscle strengthening benefits everyone. Walking feels more doable, so it's tempting to stop there. Keep the two strength sessions from the first week, even when they're short.

Check with a doctor first if this is you

For most people, walking and light strength work is a safe way to start; the American College of Sports Medicine points out that exercise is safe for most people. The NHS advises speaking to a doctor first if you haven't exercised for some time or if you have medical conditions or concerns. Make that appointment before you start if:

• you have a heart condition, diabetes, kidney disease or another ongoing health condition
• you're pregnant
• you have joint pain or an old injury that flares up
• you've had chest pain, dizziness or fainting, especially during effort

And during any workout, the rule is simple: stop and get medical help if you feel chest pain or pressure, feel faint, or get short of breath far beyond what the effort explains. If you need the appointment, book it this week and count it as day one of the plan.

Your first month, week by week

You need walking shoes and a free patch of floor. That's the whole equipment list.

1. Week 1: walk 10 to 15 minutes on three or four days. One strength session: one set of each exercise below.
2. Week 2: walk 15 to 20 minutes on four days. Two strength sessions, two sets each, on days that aren't back to back.
3. Week 3: walk 20 to 25 minutes on four or five days, with part of each walk brisk. Two strength sessions, two or three sets.
4. Week 4: walk 30 minutes at a brisk pace on five days. Two strength sessions, three sets.

Do the math on week four: five brisk 30-minute walks add up to 150 minutes, plus two strength days. That's the WHO minimum, reached in a month without a single heroic day. If a week felt rough, repeat it. Nobody hands out medals for finishing the month in exactly four weeks.

The six-move strength session

Warm up first with five minutes of easy movement: march in place, swing your arms, do a few slow sit-to-stands. Then do these in order and rest about a minute between sets. Aim for 8 to 12 reps, and end each set when you still have two or three good reps left in you. Write down what you did, so next week you know what to beat.

• Sit-to-stand: stand up from a chair and sit back down with control. Later, hold something heavy against your chest.
• Wall or counter push-up: hands on a wall or a kitchen counter, body straight, lower your chest toward it and push away. The lower the surface, the harder it gets.
• Glute bridge: lie on your back with your knees bent, push your hips up and hold for a second at the top.
• Backpack row: hold a backpack full of books in one hand, lean forward with the other hand on a table, and pull the bag up toward your hip.
• Carry: walk for 30 to 40 seconds holding a heavy grocery bag in each hand, standing tall.
• Plank: on your forearms, with your knees or toes down, 15 to 30 seconds with your body in a straight line.

At a gym, swap in the machine versions (leg press, chest press, seated row). Same idea, same rules.

How hard it should feel

For walking and other cardio, use the talk test. The CDC puts it this way: at moderate intensity you can talk but not sing, and at vigorous intensity you can't say more than a few words without pausing for breath. Your first month lives in the moderate zone.

For strength, the last couple of reps of each set should feel like work but look the same as the first ones. If your form falls apart, the set is over.

Expect some soreness a day or two after the first sessions, especially in week one. It's normal and fades within a few days, and it gets milder as your body gets used to the work. Sharp pain, pain in a joint, or pain that gets worse while you exercise is different: stop that exercise, and get it checked if it doesn't settle.

After the first month

Change one thing at a time: a few more minutes of walking, one more set, or a harder version of an exercise (a lower surface for the push-up, a heavier backpack). Then hold it for a week before changing anything else. Boring progress is the kind that lasts.

Good options for month two: add a third strength session, swap one walk for a bike ride or a swim, or try a gym. To lay out a fuller week, see how many days a week you should work out. Nervous about walking into a gym for the first time? Read about gym anxiety first.

Rookie mistakes that end it early

• Starting at full volume. A seven-day plan with two-hour sessions is how week one becomes the only week.
• Training to exhaustion. You don't need to crawl out of every session. Leave a few reps in the tank and come back on Thursday.
• Changing programs every week. Pick one plan and run it for at least a month.
• Waiting for the right gear. Shoes and a backpack will do for now.
• Going only when you feel like it. Put the sessions in your calendar like appointments; how to go to the gym consistently explains the system.
• "I don't have time." Ten-minute walks count; how to exercise with no time has more.

Day one is today

Walk for ten minutes today. Then open your calendar and book two strength sessions for this week, on days that aren't back to back. That's the whole first step, and it's enough to count as starting.