Getting started on your journey to better health and fitness can be difficult, especially when you don’t even know where to start.
There are so many fad diets and advice from “experts” which leads to a bunch of contradicting information. It can be tempting to try something that will give you a quick result, but the key is to stick to the information that is tried and true. Even though it may take a bit more time to see results, you’ll be more likely to see results that last.
Try out these simple tips to get started on your exercise journey and to make it a journey that you stick with and enjoy.
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Make achievable goals
Many people try to start by making a goal to exercise 4 or 5 days a week. That is a great goal but it’s not always sustainable right in the beginning on your fitness journey. When you have just started working out, if you make a goal that is too hard to achieve then you might feel like a failure if you don’t reach your goal.
When you are just starting out you really want to keep yourself motivated and encouraged. This is why building up to your goals is a great way to do it.
Start by making easy to reach goals, such working out twice a week. It might seem small, but it will help you to start making exercise a habit. Once you achieve that goal then you can make it three times, four times and eventually five times a week.
By doing a slow build up you’re more likely to stick with it as opposed to jumping in and trying to go from zero days to five days right in the beginning.
Need help making goals? This Dry Erase Workout Calendar is a great tool to help you visualize your goals and see the progress you are making. You can track your workouts, goals, measurements and weight, all in one place!
Do workouts you enjoy
If you dread working out then you’re probably not going to do it on a regular basis. No one wants to do things that they hate, that’s why you need to find an exercise that you enjoy doing.
When you enjoy to your workout, you actually want to do it. You look forward to it. For this to happen, you have to do something that you consider to be fun or enjoyable.
For me, I love this program called Les Mills (not a paid sponsorship, I just love them!). I do their Body Combat and Body Pump classes on a regular basis because I love the music, the moves and the energy from the instructors. Body Combat is a mixed martial arts class and Body Pump is a weightlifting class. They also offer these classes at my gym, so I get the group fitness experience as well.
For flexibility training I enjoy doing yoga. I just love how it makes my body feel and it’s so relaxing. I enjoy stretching and strengthening my body and getting slower better at different moves.
Hiking is another exercise that I really enjoy. I love getting out in nature away from it all and just finding a beautiful spot where I can enjoy God’s creation. Sometimes I take a friend for some good conversation or sometimes I go alone (only on more popular and safe trails) to clear my head. Depending on the trail you take it can a great cardio workout or a nice walk in a beautiful place.
Your turn! What workout would be fun for you? Maybe you would enjoy swimming, dancing, playing basketball, running or walking? It doesn’t always matter what you do, just about anything that makes you move your body can be considered a workout.
Still not sure what exercise you would enjoy? Take this Quiz: What Exercise Should You Try? for more ideas!
Listen to some great music
One thing that makes exercising better is great music. When you are listening to your favorite songs the time seems to pass by so much quicker than if you do it without any music. Sometimes you can do the moves to the beat of the music or you can even sing along sometimes (just remember that others can hear you lol).
This is a simple yet extremely important tip. Think about it, most regulars at the gym will have headphones or ear buds in while working out. Most of the group fitness classes have loud music playing to get people pumped. Even the gym itself has pretty loud background music playing in the gym area. There is a reason for that.
Good music sets the mood. If you are trying to do a hardcore cardio work weightlifting session, some music that is going to get you feeling pumped is a great choice. If you are doing yoga, something relaxing that will help to clear your mind is ideal. And if you’re going for a walk, just about anything you enjoy works!
Invest in a good pair of wireless sport ear buds. These are ideal for working out since they are small and the sport editions don’t fall off your ear while you’re working out like many regular ear buds do.
Get friends to join you
Working out alone is great. It can be a wonderful way to clear your mind and rejuvenate yourself. You can also do it at a time that works best for you without having to coordinate schedules with another person.
However, working out with a friend is also great because it’s fun, helps you stay accountable and allows you to encourage each other.
It’s great to have someone to laugh and share fun moments with. It’s just as great to have someone there to encourage you when you feel like you can’t get in those last reps. It’s also really helpful when you don’t feel like going to the gym or maybe even feel like just giving up on your fitness journey all together to have someone to hold you accountable to the goals that you have made. Just make sure you do the same for them.
If you can’t find a workout buddy, don’t worry, that’s one of the great things about the gym. One of the easiest ways to meet people who enjoy the same workouts you do is to join a group fitness class. If you go to them regularly, especially the same classes at the same time each week, you’re likely to run into the same people. Just start up a conversation about the class or the gym or the weather, anything. Or compliment them on their technique.
If classes aren’t your thing, start up a conversation with someone who looks friendly while you’re doing your workout. Just a simple compliment or friendly comment can go a long way.
Still having trouble finding a workout buddy? You may enjoy this article 7 Ways to Make Friends as an Adult.
Don’t give up
At the end of the day, we are human we are not perfect. We will fail and mess up. We will get sick, we will be tired and we will sometimes just not feel like working out. That’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about if you miss a few workouts or even a few weeks. Just get up and try again. Keep going and keep moving forward.
If you don’t reach your goal for the week, try to do better the next. Maybe tweak your strategy to make it more achievable or to find something that works for you. If morning workouts are not working for you, then move your workout time to the evening. If going to the gym is taking too much time out of your day, then change to at home workouts.
It will take time to find a routine that works for you and that you are able to stick to. It’s going to take even more time to really start to see results. Don’t give up and keep going. Pretty soon you’ll start to see the shape of your body changing, you’ll clothes will start to fit better and the best part is, you’ll start to feel better physically and mentally.
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