How To Set Yourself Up For Success When Starting Your Fitness Journey.
Starting a new routine, especially one made in fitness, can be an intimidating task. In today's world there is more than enough information to sift through. I think most of us get tired of trying program after program and ending up in the same place. I want to go over the strategies I believe to be most important when it comes to being successful in starting your new or rejuvenated fitness journey!
Consistency. This is THE absolute key factor in seeing success in any fitness or nutrition program. For instance, you could have the best program ever created, but you don’t put in the work required... While someone who maybe lacks in programming, but continuously puts in the effort day to day will have better results than you. Plain and simple. So, how do we make sure that the program we choose is something we can be consistent at? Here are a few things you can ask yourself and think about to help promote consistency and success in and out of the gym.
- Be real with yourself about your current starting place.
We have all had previous life experiences where we may have been in better shape than where we are now. Whether it was lifting weights in highschool, playing sports or just performing recreational fitness activities, life happens and we stray from that path occasionally. The first tendency I see when working with clients is they want to start the activities they did in the past because it's what they have seen success with in the past! However, you have to realize when you take those years off from that kind of activity, jumping right back into a program trying to perform how you “used” to, will only hold you back and possibly lead to injury. Start where you are, TODAY, not where you left off 10 years ago or even 8 months ago.
- Set small goals to build on, not just one final goal.
Most of the time when we begin a fitness program or set goals to achieve something (IE working out or watching what we eat), we are in a “motivated mindset”. Meaning, we are excited about something, which makes it really easy to set goals that seem reasonable but are usually unattainable in the time we “think” it should take. For example, saying, “I'm going to start working out and lose 40 lbs in 2 months”, or “I am going to work out 7 days a week, no matter what, because I want to look like the models I see on social media.” These are not attainable goals! Instead start with small, step-by-step goals that show you the path to your end goal! Such as, “I am going to get 20 minutes of movement in 2 days per week my first two weeks. And I’ll replace one soda I have per day with water”... Then we continue on to week 3 with 2-3 days of movement and paying attention to what you’re eating at every meal by writing down the food you intake. You’ll see by week 4 your body is craving the movement and you will most likely want to start replacing low quality foods for better quality just by simply paying attention to it and the fact that you already feel better.
This is approachable, this is doable and I would be willing to bet you lose 5-10lbs, just by accomplishing these small, progressing weekly goals.
- Invest in your Knowledge about fitness -or- Hire a Coach
The truth is, a lot of people think they know how to get in shape but in all actuality, they don’t. Hence why so many people start fitness plans but don't see them through longer than the first couple of weeks. So, you need to learn what type of exercise will benefit you, accomplish your goals, and find a way to make your plan able to be consistently completed with your daily schedule or lifestyle. Or, take this step out and hire a coach! Do your research, find a coach who is getting the results you are looking for with their current clients and promote making programs on an individualized basis!
- Write it in your daily schedule or planner.
You schedule everything else about your day, why should this be any different. You most likely write down meetings, lists of To-Do’s, and appointments. This is to help remind you of what you have left to do and the available time remaining in the day, right? So, scribble in “Workout” on one of those free 30-60 minute blocks you all have! Even if it's 10 minutes, write it down, and scratch it off the list when it is completed. This works extremely well for me, as I look at my planner every day, all day, so I am constantly reminded of my workout time. It’s a huge part of how my day flows!
While these things may seem relatively simple, it's usually the simplest things that work and the easiest to overlook. Being consistent is about more than motivation, it's about dedication. You have to be dedicated to put in the effort because eventually motivation runs out. 10-20 minutes a day to move is not hard to do, you just have to commit. If you're in need of some help in this area, we are here and ready to help! We have the approachable answer to your fitness and health goals. Swing over to our website and fill out an “Athlete Sign Up” Form to set up a free consultation and have all of your questions answered and find out which options we have available that will be best for you!