With 2022 quickly approaching, many of us are looking forward to putting together our list of New Year’s resolutions. Inevitably the topic of health and fitness and getting back on track makes its way into many goal lists. And while it can seem overwhelming every single year, starting or restarting your fitness journey doesn’t have to be. Getting started is usually the hardest part. With some preparation and strategies under your belt, there is nothing that can stop you.
5 Tips To Starting Your Fitness Journey
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Develop A Fitness Routine
One of the most important aspects of starting your fitness journey is to develop a fitness routine. Working out not only strengthens your muscles, but can help improve your cardiovascular system, your sleep, and your mental health. The most important part of developing a fitness routine is to outline your goals. Are you trying to build muscle?
Do you want to strengthen your heart? Whatever your goals may be, you want to follow an exercise routine that reflects them. The second most important aspect in developing a fitness routine is choosing something that you like to do. If you don’t like to run, don’t force yourself to be a runner. Try biking, walking, or HIIT instead. You’ll be more motivated to stick to your schedule if you do something that you like.
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Make The Commitment
A lot of the fitness journey is mental. While this may seem daunting, the mind is an extremely powerful tool. Starting a fitness journey is not easy and along the way, there will be obstacles. To stick to your goals, you need to make a commitment to yourself that you will stick to it, no matter the setbacks. Getting in this mindset will push you to stay on track even when you start to lack motivation. Try identifying your “why”.
Why are you starting this journey? Is it getting stronger? Losing weight? Feeling good? Whatever it may be, having a strong reason to remind you why you started will help you when times get tough.
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Start Small
One of the most common misconceptions about starting a fitness journey is that you have to change everything all at once. This isn’t true. You don’t have to reinvent your entire life in a day. Trying to change too much, too fast is a recipe for disaster. Try starting with a few simple swaps or additions to your day-to-day life.
Maybe you switch your coffee creamer with something lower in sugar and higher in protein. Or perhaps you walk to the store or to work instead of driving if you live close by or squeeze in a 20-30 min exercise YouTube video. No matter how small the change, it is still a step in the right direction.
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The 80/20 Split
The 80/20 in this context refers to the split between nutrition and working out. While every person’s body is different, many people say that developing a healthy lifestyle it’s 80% about nutrition and 20% about exercise. This isn’t to say that exercise isn’t important but if you were to choose between the two, nutrition is said to be the root of your health.
Consuming healthy, whole foods can help more than your fitness routine, it can improve sleep, skin, digestion, strengthen your hair and nails, and give you more energy throughout the day. Additionally, for centuries many cultures have advocated in favor of the health benefits found in many foods. From immune system strengthening citrus to antioxidant-rich greens, what we eat can have a great impact on our internal and external health.
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Expect Setbacks
Starting a fitness journey is not easy, and unfortunately, you will experience setbacks. Inevitably life can get in the way of our efforts. The worst thing you can do for yourself is to be unprepared for failure. Assuming you won’t fail, then failing is far more difficult than being ready to experience setbacks and take them in stride.
The most important part of failing is to get back up again. Don’t let one setback send you into a spiral and derail all your progress. Instead, forget about the missed workout or the unhealthy eating and focus on starting fresh the next day with your goals in mind.
Conclusion
Working on our health and fitness is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. While getting started can be difficult, in the end, it will all be worth it. Improving your health through proper nutrition and exercise can help nearly every aspect of your well-being. By implementing these strategies you should be able to confidently get started on your fitness journey.
