- Consider your fitness goals
The first questions that you need to ask yourself when you are getting started is WHAT are my goals. Do you want to start your fitness journey to lose weight? Or are you wanting to train for a marathon? Whatever it may be the best course of action is to decide what is best for your body, your schedule, your lifestyle, and your interest. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. I cannot stress this enough. Everybody is different, their body is not the same as yours, and they might be able to move at a faster rate than you and IT IS OKAY. This concept was difficult for me to understand at the beginning. Why was I not showing results as fast as others were? What am I doing wrong? What is the point if I am not seeing results? STOP. The longer you compare yourself to others the longer it will take for you to achieve your goals. Think about your WHY. Make it a point to write down your short- and long-term fitness goals. Consider where you see yourself in the future, make them powerful enough to not talk yourself out of it, stick to your word, and knock one thing out at a time.
2. Set realistic expectations
Setting realistic expectations are important because they hold us accountable, expand our courage, and push us through temporary discomfort for a longer-lasting change. Often times when it comes to our expectations we go over our head. The biggest mistake is trying to take on too much at one time. When you are first starting out you should set the bar a little lower until you start to figure out a routine that works best for you. Once something starts to feel easy, push yourself to the next level. You have already begun to tackle the biggest fitness obstacle MENTALITY and CONFIDENCE. The more you start to see yourself tackle one goal at a time, the more likely you are to stay with it.
3. Create a habit
You have considered your fitness goals, set your expectations, now it’s time to create a habit. A habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated consistently until it begins to occur subconsciously. Do something ENOUGH until you start to fall in love with the RESULTS. Whether you have one hour or thirty minutes to move your body a day DO IT. Make it a habit to move your body every single day. Implementing exercise into your daily routine will improve your mood, boost your energy, and promote a better night sleep.
4. Consistency is key
It takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks for a habit to completely become second nature. Once you start KEEP MOVING. Whatever your fitness goals may be, they require a constant level of training for you to reach them. Unfortunately, things do not happen overnight. You have to bring it every day. The more times you continue to do something the easier it will be. Hold yourself accountable and SHOW UP. Show up on the good days and the bad days. Not only is consistency key to your physical health, but you will notice a positive impact to your mental health. There is a quote that says “it takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends and family to start noticing, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice.” Stay consistent, give it 12 weeks, and DON’T GIVE UP. I am cheering for you!
5. It is okay to fall off the wagon, GET BACK UP
We have all been there! You miss a day or two? WHO CARES? Some days are harder than others, life gets busy, your sick, or your body just needs rest. The good news is missing a day or two is not going to stop you from achieving your goals. Remember that. Don’t beat yourself up. Tomorrow is a new day and you’ve got to rise up and go again. Setbacks are a part of the process, it’s up to you on how you badly you want to bounce back. Look at how far you’ve come, give yourself grace, and KEEP ON GOING.
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