How to start your Health & Fitness Journey successfully
The New Year has been and gone, and for many people January will have marked the start of a new fitness journey. Around this time pretty much everyone is super-motivated to go to the gym and to work hard towards their new goals, whether it be to lose weight, gain muscle or generally just get fit!
Then…what happens? You’ve probably been there before. You set yourself a far-reaching or unrealistic goal and then look for quick fixes when it comes to training and nutrition to get there as fast as you can. You may start off by doing too much…6 weight-training workouts per week and cardio every day, whilst following a “faddy” diet. Racing like a rabbit towards headlights! This is most definitely not the best way, and sooner or later this approach is likely to lead to disappointment, with you throwing in the towel, before February rolls around. Hang on…we’re there already! You’ve probably noticed that your gym was so rammed in January, and will be like a ghost-town come March.
In this article, we are giving you 5 tips that will help you to start your healthy lifestyle the smart way. You may have already joined us in our free Fitness Challenge workouts. If not, we’re on to week 5 now so there’s still chance to catch up, and to win some awesome goodies (check out our Instagram accounts for details – mirella_strongbeatsskinny + kitti_strongbeatsskinny.
With the right knowledge, you can make your New Years resolutions and goals come true..
Educate yourself on training and nutrition
Make sure you do your research before you start any exercise and diet plan. Read about different training methods and find out what suits best for you, your lifestyle and your goals. It is important to remember that there is no perfect training plan and training on its own is not enough. You also need to compliment your effort in the gym with good nutrition. Fad diets and quick weight loss plans don’t work so don’t waste your time with these. If you have done some research but find it confusing, we’re not surprised…there is a lot out there. Search for information that come from reliable sources, methods which promise slow progress but sustainable results are often the best.
Goal setting and planning
Set realistic goals and give yourself enough time to achieve them. Change doesn’t happen overnight and by setting yourself some short-term goals will help to keep you motivated along the way. Taking little steps at a time will eventually lead you to success. The tortoise wins the race every time!
Slow and steady wins the race
Start by making small changes in your lifestyle rather than jumping straight into the deep ene. Making drastic changes that don’t fit in with your lifestyle can be overwhelming and you will only find stressful. Instead, aim to make small improvements week by week. For example, make small changes to your nutrition…start by drinking 2-3 litres of water every day. Then increase your vegetable intake by consuming some vegetables with each meal. By week 3, reduce simple sugars in your diet. Same with training, start slow and aim to workout 2-3 times a week rather than going to the gym every single day. Start with something you enjoy until you get those endorphins going.
Professional help
If you have no idea where to start and are confused by the sheer thought of point 1, then investing in professional help can be your saving grace. Not everyone has time to do all the research and planning themselves, and this can often be so overwhelming that you quit before you even get started. Investing in professional help and having a plan written for you and your goals saves time and takes the guesswork out of the journey. If you have never set foot in a gym, it is good to have someone who can guide you safely and effectively through your workouts.
Healthy living is a lifestyle
Being healthy and active needs to be a lifestyle choice in order for it to be most effective. It might not be easy at the start to give up “unhealthy” habits but it doesn’t have to be boring. Finding the balance, feeling fit and healthy, far outweighs waking up on a Monday morning not wanting to hit the gym or eat your greens because you feel so demotivated after your weekend of pizza-eating and sofa surfing. Make small changes to your lifestyle. Finding an activity you enjoy and experimenting with healthy recipes can be fun. Pizza is more rewarding when you have earned it, and there are so many ways to create delicious meals that not just taste good but also good for you.
The bonus of exercising regularly and eating well most of the time means you can enjoy the odd treat here and there. Life is about balance, everything in moderation. If you can find the balance that fits into your lifestyle and you feel great, well your are already halfway there!
