Fitness is tough to get started in and keep going with it for a long time when you first start out. I’ve always been a fit kid when I was young, but I didn’t know how to take it seriously. A lot of progression could’ve happened earlier when starting out if I knew what I was doing. I have learned too much about fitness at this point, so here are 10 tips on how to get started in fitness:
- Figure Out Your Plan
When you’re not sure how you want to get into fitness, you’ll try something out that you don’t like and you’ll never want to do it again. There are so many categories in fitness (Lifting weights, running, boxing, calisthenics, martial arts, sports, dance, etc.).
Those are just a few of the many categories you can choose from. Find out your plan and pick a category that interests you so you can stick with it for a long time.
- Set a Goal
I guarantee you, nothing can be accomplished without a goal. It took so long to realize this. Set a goal, whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, cardiovascular exercise, relieving stress, or just being healthier. Your goal will determine your end result and how bad you want it. Make a deadline to keep you motivated.
- Diet is Everything
If you’re goal is to change the physical shape of your body…you need to diet. End of story, sorry. About 80% of your body change is through diet alone while the other 20% is the physical part of it. Our body just works like that, but you’ll see how much better you feel everyday when you start dieting. Your face will look the best it ever has. Your body will change faster than you think, and your mood will be as positive as it ever has.
- Be Consistent
Fitness is one of those things that if you don’t follow through for a decent period of time, you will fall off track. It’s the same thing as hitting a reset button on your progress. I promise you will start to enjoy it once you follow through for about 3 weeks. When figuring out your plan and setting your goals, that includes a daily routine where you map out your workout plan, diet, and rest days. Which leads me to #5:
- Rest Days Are Important
Rest days are crucial when you are constantly sore and tired from working out. They allow your body some time to rejuvenate the muscles and get your nutrients to all the right places. Working out a certain area of your body that is still sore is quite ineffective and can be somewhat dangerous if overdone. Please don’t take too many rest days though, as it can really throw you off track and stop your habits. Believe me, I used to do this all the time and my progress was getting reset time and time again. Once or twice a week max and you’ll be healthy enough to keep pushing.
- Track your progress
There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your body change the way you want it to. One thing I did start doing from the beginning was taking pictures of myself to track progress. I’ve never felt more confident and proud of myself after watching myself change in those pictures. DO IT! It helps and you’ll be happy you did.
- Test the Waters
Whether you’re starting at a gym to lift weights, box, swim, dance, anything: Go there without the intent to actually do anything too serious and walk around your gym to see which machines your going to use for each workout day. Go try out one of the classes they have. Go running and see at what point you get really tired and push yourself to the limit. The point is, don’t start following through on your plan when you’re not sure how to. Check out the specific exercises or workouts you’re going to do and write it down in your notes. Do the same with food to see how you’re going to plan out your diet.
- Motivate Yourself
If you already know you’re not going to be able to do it on your own, tell someone to hold you accountable. If you think you’ll be unmotivated during your exercise, get a “gym buddy”. If you think you won’t be able to eat according to your diet, reward yourself at the end of the week with something nice. It never hurts to get some help with anything in life and fitness is no exception.
- Be Realistic
I remember I wanted to gain 20 pounds of muscle in two months at first. Anything is possible, but don’t push it. Be realistic with your goals because you’ll be disappointed when you don’t get there by the deadline. Another HUGE thing to keep in mind is to be honest with yourself. If you tell yourself that you’re actually doing everything you’re supposed to when exercising and dieting, but you’re not, it will ruin you. If you’re not honest with yourself then what’s the point of doing it.
- Start
It sounds stupid, but I’m serious. I encourage you to start tomorrow because I care about each and every one of you and I want you to be the best version of yourself you can be. Have fun with it! If you feel disgusting from it, don’t do it, but I’ve never heard someone say they didn’t enjoy looking and feeling better about themselves. So use these tips and get started in fitness now!
Guys, I love fitness and I want to help everyone get into it. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, leave it in the comments sections below.
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