We all know that taking care of our health should be one of our biggest priorities, especially if we want to live long happy lives and be there to support our families for years to come. Most of us are also aware that being physically fit forms a major part of this part of our lives, and embarking on a fitness journey can be exciting and daunting all at once. It might feel like there are so many different routes to try and so many things to consider that it can be hard to keep track of it all, but this doesn’t have to be as complicated as it might seem. Here are a few important things to remember when you want to start getting into shape.
Choose What Works for You and Invest in It
When it comes down to it, the best type of exercise is going to be the one that you enjoy and can do regularly and consistently, and this could look different for everybody. If you love dancing, join some classes. If you enjoy being outdoors, look into trail running, hiking or find an outdoor gym. If you’re not interested in super high-intensity exercise, start lifting weights. Within the realm of strength training, there are endless exercises to try out to improve your strength, heart health and physical appearance all at once. Once you’ve found what you enjoy, take the time to learn the ins and outs of that type of exercise. For example, if you do choose to start lifting weights, you can watch videos and read guides to make sure you’re performing all the exercises correctly, like in this guide to the best dumbbell chest exercises.
You Need to Remember Your ‘Why’
If you want to be consistent in your fitness journey, it’s important that you have clear reasons for it and these are once again very dependent on your personal life, preferences and goals. If you want to lose weight and get fit to be able to play with your children, write that down and remember it when things get difficult. If you’ve had a health scare and the doctor told you to change your lifestyle, keep that in mind when you can feel yourself veering off track. If you want to lose weight to fit into your favourite pair of jeans again, keep them in your closet as a reminder. Knowing the deeper reason for doing something is going to help motivate you when you’re struggling and you can’t see the point anymore – remember why you started in the first place.
You Can’t Out-Train a Bad Diet
It’s sad but it’s true – you can work out as much as you like, but if you aren’t eating right you probably aren’t going to see any results. Nutrition forms a major part of any fitness journey – whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle or improve your athletic performance, what you eat and how much you eat are going to play a major role and you’ll have to pay special attention to your daily meals and snacks. This is not to say that you should switch over to a very restrictive diet – this is very seldom a helpful thing to do. Exercising will mean that your body requires more fuel, but it’s important that your fuel is of high quality. Consider limiting your intake of highly processed foods, increasing your fruit and veggie intake and also pay close attention to how much protein you’re consuming – it’s an important factor in both muscle building and weight loss. Once your diet is balanced and focused on whole foods, you can investigate some superfoods to boost your health.
Progress Takes Time
It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re giving it your all at the gym and eating well and still not seeing the results you want, but keep in mind that sustainable results take time. Changing your lifestyle and beginning a fitness journey is a long-term commitment and not a quick-fix weight-loss die, and your results coming slowly is a sign that you’re doing things in a way that will have lasting effects. It can take up to a few weeks for the numbers on the scale to drop or for your to start feeling stronger, faster or fitter, but as long as you’re putting in consistent effort and doing your best, the progress will come in time. In the meantime, try to focus on the other benefits of exercise, such as increased energy, better sleep and daily stress relief.
