How to start your fitness journey 🏋️‍♀️ 🏃

For most people, taking the first step of a health and fitness journey is often the hardest part.

Whether it’s joining a gym, signing up to an online program or wanting to go for a daily walk you don’t need to wait till you have ‘all the gear’ or ‘get fit to get started’…you just need to start!

Just remember we were all beginners once!

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Define Your ‘Why’

Why do you want to start a fitness journey? Is it to improve your quality of life, change your body shape, increase your mobility, or feel better physically and mentally. Defining your true reason will be your motivation and this is what you need to remind yourself of when things get tough. Make sure you are doing it for you and that your reason comes from a place of self-love.

2. Set Sustainable Goals

Having a goal that you are working towards is important so that you can measure your progress. Setting healthy goals that are realistic and achievable can help you to establish long term healthy habits. Have a series of small attainable goals to help you achieve your main goal.

3. Commit To Yourself

If you were to make a promise to anyone else in your life—your partner, child, boss, or friend—you would do stick to it, but because it’s you and because you can somehow always negotiate with yourself, you might not stick to your commitment.  No matter why you have chosen to embark on a fitness journey, it is vital that you commit to yourself in the process. 

4. Schedule Your Time

Starting new habits are hard enough to form as is – so don’t make it any harder by not scheduling the time for practising them! Instead, commit and make time for it. Put your allocated workout times into your calendar and stick to them as if they were non-negotiable commitments. Over time, it will become a habit – but especially at the start, it is important to set yourself up for success. 

5. Be Kind To Yourself

Understand that life happens. You will not achieve 100% perfection. One day of eating over your macro’s is not a reason to put your hands up and say ‘this is all too hard’. Tomorrow is another day and all we can do is try to improve and find ways to be more prepared for life’s curveballs. Never see it as a failure but as a learning experience and give yourself the love and compassion you deserve. It’s so important to celebrate small victories and to keep growing and learning. Remind yourself that what you are trying to achieve is not a quick fix, you are creating a whole new lifestyle.

6. Have Accountability

Accountability is one of THE biggest keys to success! You need to have someone there to not only support and encourage you, but who can also pull you up on your bullsh@t if needed and help challenge and refocus any negative mindsets. The best option is a qualified PT or online coach that has the skills and knowledge to help you stay accountable.  

7. Have A Plan

You’re ready to start but now what?  Having a plan is necessary to ensure you continue what you’ve started. Without a plan, you can easily become lost and unmotivated. Find a fitness professional you feel you can trust that can set you up and give you guidance. It is important to have a personalised program tailored to your goals and lifestyle alongside education and the ability to show you how the exercises are done correctly so you feel confident when starting a home program or entering a gym.

8.  Embrace Your Journey

Consistency and patience are needed to succeed in your fitness journey. A lot of people tend to give up early when they start because they don’t see the difference they expect right away. They forget why they started and it all seems too hard. When it comes to sustainable results, slow and steady wins the race. It is important you embrace your progress and journey.

Take it from me, exercise has the power to transform not just your body, it can also transform your life.