AD // I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one to be starting a fitness journey over the last few years. However you feel about new years goals and resolutions, the start of a new year is a great time for people to really hit the ground running with what they want for themselves. For a lot of us, that’s improved health and fitness.
I’m definitely on my own fitness journey right now and exercising more than I have done in a long time. When my anxiety disorder started back in 2011, exercise was the least of my worries. And over the years, my weight went way down and then way up and I’ve not really been able to get a steady hand on my health or fitness. Until now.
Largely due to my anxiety but also other factors too, which I won’t get into. But the point is, I’m on my own health and fitness journey right now and I’m feeling more motivated than ever.
When I was at school, I wanted to be a fitness instructor. That was my dream. I did extra GCSE P.E, I was in the tennis team and did after school trampolining among other things. I also went to gym loads – I think I was only 16 when I got my first gym membership! That particular dream went down hill when I started sixth form but the fact is, I’ve always loved fitness and sport. Ever since I was much younger.
So being back on my own fitness journey feels great. I love being active again. I love sticking my music on (the Jabra true wireless earbuds are great for workouts!) and being in my body. But there’s been a lot to learn and a lot to think about and I wanted to share those pointers with you today.
6 things to consider when starting a fitness journey:
Finding exercise that you enjoy
This is a HUGE one for me because I get very bored when it comes to certain exercises and that immediately makes me not want to do them. We have an exercise bike at home and I forced myself to go on it daily but I hated it. Late last year, I found Holly Dolke on YouTube and signed up to her exercise programme, which I absolutely love!
Investing in gadgets to help you on your fitness journey
When you start a fitness journey, it definitely can be overwhelming. Especially if – like me – fitness hasn’t been on your agenda for so long. It can be hard to know where start, what to do, how to track your progress and how to know if what you’re doing is having a positive impact on your fitness.
So investing in gadgets to help you on your fitness journey might be a good option for you! Fitness watches are great because not only can you find one to suit almost any budget but their purpose is to collect 24/7 health data, which helps you stick to your goals and understand if what you’re doing is working for you. Check out this page for more advice on the best fitness trackers.
Variety is the spice of life
As well as finding exercise that you enjoy, it’s also useful to do a range of different sports or exercises to keep the variety in your fitness journey. A range of activities won’t only stop you getting bored as easy but it’s also a great way to work and use different muscles and focus on different elements of your fitness. As well as HIIT workouts, I do a lot of Yoga!
Related reads:
Adapt Your Exercise
Finding the time, space and equipment to exercise can put you off the idea of working out completely. But it’s not actually that hard to burn up a sweat without these things, as a short burst of exercise using moves that harness your bodyweight to replace equipment are so easy to do.
By finding a beginners manual for calisthenics will help you understand how to create your own routine, of moves that will build your strength and burn excess fat, anywhere in the world. Take the stairs wherever possible, and opt for a push bicycle instead of a motorbike for shorter distances.
There are many small changes you can make that can build up to have a big impact, so consider your movements carefully and encourage your friends to head out with you on a hike or trek and make the most of your current surroundings.
You might want to consider yoga or Pilates, both of these are rapidly growing in popularity, but they have many health benefits, including posture, flexibility and even muscle tone.
Do you have any experience in yoga or Pilates? If not there are plenty of valuable free resources online, but to make the process much quicker, you can enroll for a pilates teacher training course and gain all the skills and knowledge of the expert.
Setting realistic and achievable goals
Goals are so important when it comes to health and fitness. Whether it’s the # of pounds you want to drop, a particular dress you want to fit into by a certain date, a certain amount of weights you want to be able to lift or a distance you’d like to be able to run. Goals are SUPER vital when it comes to your fitness journey. By setting realistic and achievable goals, it’ll keep you motivated and always pushing forward.
Related read: 9 Truth Bombs About Goal Setting You Need To Hear
Mindset is everything
Exercise is physical. But it starts in the mind first. This one kinda ties in with the point about goals but having a positive mindset towards exercise and your own fitness journey is important to help you keep on track. It’s YOUR journey, nobody else’s. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, it matter what YOU are doing.
And definitely un-follow anyone on social media that makes you feel bad about yourself! Only follow positive influences.
You don’t have to starve or deprive yourself
Potentially a point for a whole other post but just to sum it up quickly, a fitness journey does NOT mean that you have to starve yourself or deprive yourself of everything you enjoy in order to reach your goals. That’s not healthy or sustainable. We’ve all heard the line: Everything in moderation! Pinterest is a great place to start for a ton of easy, yummy and healthy recipes.
Are you currently enjoying fitness? How are you getting on? What exercises do you enjoy or not enjoy? Do you have any tips for those just starting a fitness journey?
Awesome!
[…] and give you a little nudge to go to your GP if you’re worried about your results. Here are 6 more things to consider when you’re starting your fitness […]
great tips👍🏽 thanks for sharing!
Great post, I really liked the part about not having to starve or deprive yourself. I like to follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to diet. 80% healthy but 20% of whatever the hell I feel like eating too :). Gotta enjoy life as well.
I think that’s a great rule. It’s all about balance!
Thanks Jenny for the great fitness journey article. MirrorAthlete posted it on it’s FB Ageless MirrorAthlete group page. We are now following you. Cheers!
Great blog article Jenny. I’m the Owner of MirrorAthlete.com. I’m posting your article on MirrorAthlete FB page. Do consider joining/sharing your fit healthy lifestyle posts at FB group page: AgelessMirrorAthlete group and MirrorAthlete page. Thanks… Cheers!
Agree to the max! 🙌🏼 Great article!
[…] 6 Things To Consider When Starting Your Fitness Journey — Jenny in Neverland […]
Finding a routine or a set of routines is really important as it helps a person stay interested in their fitness journey. And yes, it is also important to understand that starving or depriving ourselves is only going to deplete us from the inside. Setting, achieving and resetting goals is certainly an important factor to help us continue to remain on-board the pursuit of fitness. It’s a lovely blog. 🙂
Thank you. Goals are very important when it comes to fitness, I agree.
Improvement is the greatest feeling, it reinforces so many vital mindset characteristics (e.g. “you can change”).
And physical objectives is an incredibly efficient means at promoting that mindset.
There is always a new way to get stronger, or another muscle to develop.
There’s so much you can do with nutrition and plenty of exploration. Both mental and physical.
Exercising gives my life its energy!
In so many ways.
Non-negotiables of being a living creature are: Movement, Nutrition, and Rest.
A proper exercise routine hits all of these. The fact that brains even exist is likely due to movement and the need to make calculations.
You can improve in every way through it! Disicpline, intelligence, emotional well-being, how you feel, etc. Not to mention appearance!
Simply put, it is pretty important 😉
I LOVE these kind of things 😏
Especially the discipline and mental side, as that is what my writing focuses on.
Great post, thanks for sharing! 😄😄
Hi, i just gave it a read and it was worth it! I have similar fitness posts on my blog, please check it out and let me know- itseverythingmen.wordpress.com
Couldn’t agree more with finding something you enjoy. It’s really half the battle if you do. I’ve found a great local studio gym and all they offer is classes which is perfect for me.
https://littlemissmelanie.com/
It really is!
I’m kind of on a mental fitness journey if that counts! xD I figured I needed to get a stable hold on that before I get myself back in the gym. Though I have lost 5lbs somehow! haha!
Oh that definitely counts!
I’m rubbish at excercising! I wish I would be more motivated!
I loved reading your article. Thanks for sharing.
This is a great read! I agree with these points completely and by covering these bases you can put yourself in the best position at the start! Keep going!
I’m honestly useless when it comes to health and fitness. I try routines for a few weeks and then get lazy and bored. I think that being at home so much and being so unmotivated means I’m not even walking enough, so I downloaded an app called The Walk which is a story-based app that unlocks as you walk. It’s really encouraged me to get up and walk about more during the day, and hopefully I can build on that from there and find some activities that I really love doing!
Oh that app sounds amazing!
Mind over matter!!! I love that being fit & getting on track with that doesn’t mean starving, you get to eat sooo much of what’s good for you & it leaves you feeling amazing 🙂
Absolutely! xxx
I find that setting small goals and a clear mindset help a lot with fitness! I also get bored really easy so variety is everything for me.
Sameeee! x
When it comes to my workouts, I’ve definitely set myself goals for what I want to achieve!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
They’re cruical! x
I’m actually restarting my fitness journey, since I took a 12 month detour! Right now, I am using an app that has a fitness program I am using.
I will say, finding the exercise that you enjoy IS key, and I am glad you pointed that out.
tonyalee @ http://vivaciousbibliophile.com/
Best of luck on your new found fitness journey! x
Soo many helpful tips in here!! I am really into my fitness right now ahead of my wedding but I need to make sure I change things up lots so that I don’t get bored!
Rosie
Ahh how exciting for you! x
I’m currently working on getting back ‘into shape’ following breaking my foot. One of my favourite ways to exercise is to go for a long walk as you notice more about your surroundings than when you are in the car
I agree! I want to go for more long walks x
My fitness journey is so so so different to yours. I wasn’t active at all as a kid, didn’t see it as enjoyment at all and had no desire to ever workout. I couldn’t do school PE for about 3 years because of hip problems, so when I say that I did literally nothing, I mean n o t h i n g. Then I woke up one day just before I turned 22 and decided it would be cool to run a marathon one day, would probably like to do it before 30, so started running about two weeks later. I like that it’s something that can easily be done indoors too so there aren’t many weather issues x
Sophie
Oh my goodness what an extreme journey you’ve had! I couldn’t think of anything worse than rubbing a marathon 😂😂
Good luck on your fitness journey! I used to think I hated exercise in school (and was made feel lazy) but when I started mine, I found so many exercises I love (otherwise I wouldn’t have lasted) These are great tips, it’s absolutely not about starving yourself!
Ash | thisdreamsalive.com
That’s the thing with school though, you don’t really get to do what YOU enjoy, rather just what’s on the curriculum!
I’d like to say I’m on a journey but I’m sitting here reading blog posts about fitness instead of going to the gym like I’m supposed to be this afternoon, aha! On a serious note though, I’m also trying to put it not necessarily first, but much higher on my priorities. It’s not even so much a fitness thing, it’s a health thing: I want to feel stronger in myself both physically and mentally. This has got some great points – love it!
Yesss! That’s literally my reasons too I wanted to feel healthier and fitter 😌
I get so bored with exercise so I find I have to change it up quite often! I love doing workouts at home with Youtube or going for long walks xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
A long walk can be nice for exercise as well as getting into nature 😌
I need to find a sport I enjoy!
My teenager and I go to the gym twice a week and I like to practise yoga several times a week from YouTube. Fitness is really important for our wellbeing.
That’s great! I do yoga on YouTube too x
I’ve started my fitness journey in September, and it was difficult in the beginning, but some of the things you mentioned helped a lot. I picked exercise hat I knew I’d love (a weekly kickboxing class) to start with, then went step by step to try other types of exercise and go to the gym. My fitbit watch motivates me to move without making me feel pressure or stress if I don’t move a lot one day, and my partner has been super supportive and encourages me every day. It’s still a journey, and it can be easy to be discouraged, but it’s definitely worth not giving up !
Thanks for sharing your story! Glad you seem to be doing well on your fitness journey!
Such a fab post – I like doing the videos on youtube at home! The gym just isn’t for me! xx
Oh same! Couldn’t think of anything worse right now!
Mindset is everything! Variety is the spice of life and that is the same with exercise. It has to be something you enjoy or it just won’t happen!
Absolutely agree!
I really need to start getting into the habit of exercising again! x
Hope you do x
Hey Jenny! I’m so glad about that to hear your personal tips for fitness. These were really great for everyone. As well as thanks for your services to present for your readers.
Be success forever 👏👍🤝
Thank you 😌
I hateeeee exercise but these are helpful tips haha x
Same girl 😂
I feel like I’m always on my fitness journey 😀 Like you, I’ve been interested in fitness since I was young. I haven’t been sticking to it too well recently. I find that having an accountability partner helps, or just having the space to work out at home can improve my frequency!
Yesss an accountability partner really helps!
I’ve never been on an actual fitness journey, but started athletics at age 8. Boredom has become my biggest enemy in the 15 years since then. I’d like to join a gym, especially because training indoors is so much more comfortable in the winter months, but I simply can’t afford a membership 🙁
x Envy
They can be so pricey!
I completely relate to getting bored with exercise – I need so much variety to enjoy it. I find it soooo hard in the winter because of the temperature but I’m hoping I’ll start exercising again soon!
Maybe try something indoors? 😌