Tips for Starting and Sticking to a Fitness Routine
In my experience as a trainer and fitness professional, many people struggle to stick to a fitness routine, or in fact struggle to start. It is quite common for people to fail before they even get going because they convince themselves that there isn’t enough time in the day to exercise, or for others they start, but then lose motivation and give up for one reason or another.
I am sure many of us set ourselves some fitness goals at the beginning of the year and we probably were extremely motivated to achieve these! Now that we are 3 months into the year are we still on course to achieve those goals? Or have we crashed and burned and given up!! If the latter sounds like you, or you haven’t even started your fitness plan yet, then read on! I have put together a few tips to get you started or help you get back on track.
Have a goal and write it down – The first step is to have a goal. What do you want to achieve? When do you want to achieve this? and why? If you have a goal then write it down, it is proven that people that have a plan and revisit their plans are more likely to succeed. Be specific with this, the more detail the better!
Prepare – We already know you don’t have time, so write it down as an appointment everyday. You wouldn’t cancel an appointment for your hair, why would you cancel on yourself? ARE YOU NOT IMPORTANT TOO!!!
Start slowly – Everyone needs to start somewhere. If you go all out at the beginning, you are destined to burn out and fail. Fitness needs to be part of your lifestyle, so look for 20 – 30 minutes a day to go to the gym, have a home workout or even go for a walk. This is a good start.
Be realistic – So many people fail because they have unrealistic goals. You are not going to lose half a stone in a week (well not properly anyway). Set yourself a realistic target and stop listening to so called claims from weight loss products or people using these – They are not sustainable.
Get the family involved – Go for a run whilst your kids are on their bikes with you or go cycling with them. Go running, swimming or to the gym with your partner. Sign up to a 5km run, walk with the kids and the dog.
Surround yourself with people that are motivating, inspiring, determined and encouraging. You don’t need negativity in your life.
Allow yourself some chill out time – Remember this is YOUR journey, you are the pilot, and you are in control. Listen to your body.
Show up – Go to the gym, or the class you have been thinking about. The hardest part is getting there, but once you are there it’s hard not to get involved. Many people fail because they haven’t even started. They look for reasons NOT to show up like it’s too cold outside, it’s too late, I’m too tired etc, etc.
Eat – Follow a healthy eating pattern. If you limit your calories, you will not have enough energy to workout and your metabolism will slow down.
Be proud of your achievements – You may exercise to be fitter, stronger, lose weight, tone up, be a better person etc. Whatever your reasons be proud of where you have come from and where you are going.
Have fun – You will want to continue doing something you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it then why would you continue to do it.
Get professional advice- By having a professional help you, you are more likely to stay focused and have some accountability. You would go to see the dentist if you had an issue with a tooth, or go to a financial advisor to get advice about your money, why wouldn’t you go to a fitness professional for help with your fitness. After all the best investment in the world is YOU.
DON’T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF. Yes, life is busy and can be overwhelming, but it is never too late to be the person you want to be.
If you are thinking of starting your fitness routine but your abit lost with where to start, or you have lost motivation with your current fitness plan and want to get back on track then contact us at info@buildabodypt.co.uk to arrange a FREE consultation and taster session with one of our experienced trainers.
