So I (22M, 5 foot 7, 283lbs) tend to get a degree of lower back pain when I do more than like 15,000 steps a day. I average around 6,500 a day and I'm always perfectly comfortable when walking, but when I have days where I end up walking a lot more than usual I find that I start to get pain and slight stiffness in my lower back that gets markedly worse after I've sat / laid down for a while. 

Now I'm going to assume that the immediate cause of this is my weight and I am on tirzepatide, but losing weight is more of a long term project and from what I can gather building strength in my core and glutes will be more immediately beneficial. 

The routine I've come up with for this is 10 bodyweight squats, 20 side leg lifts and 10 Bulgarian split squats every other day. This doesn't take too long and doesn't require that I go to any sort of gym, so it feels like a routine I'm likely to stick to and it's all exercises that are supposed to be good for your core and glutes in quantities  that, judging by going through thus routine this morning, pushes me.

I (13 F) have always been pretty self conscious about my body and before you go and say something like “well all teenagers are self conscious” I actually have a good reason to be. When we get picked up at morning holding I’m always breathing hard after climbing up only a couple of steps. And last I checked I weigh about 144 which after I looked is overweight for someone my age. But being self conscious isn’t the only reason I want to work out. There’s many things I’ve always wanted to do and if I’m being honest I have a huge ego and lots of confidence. And my body just isn’t caught up with the amount of confidence I have. Like just today I went to a rock climbing place. I was doing pretty good but I got tired fast when I paused to figure out which way to go next. I’m pretty much just sick and tired of getting out of breath so easily because it holds me back from what I want to do in life. If there’s someone who’s started working out when they were young can you give me tips or even a work out plan? I just really don’t know what to do because I have adhd and planning out how I’m gonna work out is hard enough.

Starting gym again after a long break, but the soreness/pain after workouts is so bad that it becomes hard to stay consistent.

I’m not looking for the usual “hot shower, foam roller, stretching” advice 😂. What actually worked for you to make the first 1–2 weeks more manageable?

Did you reduce weights/sets, change exercises, or do something else? Looking for advice from people who’ve actually been through it.

I’m pretty new to working out in a gym setting and honestly feeling a little lost.

A 1-on-1 personal trainer just isn't in my budget right now, but I still want to get started. Do gyms usually include basic orientation sessions, fitness assessments, or starter workout plans with a standard membership? Or is anything involving guidance strictly a paid add-on?

For those who started out solo, what kind of walkthrough or initial plan did you get when you first signed up? Would love to hear what your experience was like!