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.
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!
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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?