You might think that starting a new fitness and health journey is overwhelming and intimidating, but congratulations on making your first step in deciding you want to make a change! Let's jumpstart your fitness!
You may be thinking to yourself "I've tried starting a fitness routine so many times but I always fail to be consistent with it, why would this time be any different?" Well, for one, forget strict diets and getting so sore in the gym from week one that it simply makes you hate the whole process. I am all about creating sustainable habits slowly rather than making big radical changes that you will not be able to maintain in the long run. Deciding to end old habits while making healthy improvements can be a life-changing decision that you will not regret. Not only will this greatly improve your overall well-being, but it can also boost your mood, increase your confidence in yourself, all while remaining motivated to stay on track. Many people feel confident about beginning their fitness journey, but have no idea where to start, what fitness strategies will work best for them and how to implement them. Fear no more! Coming prepared with the right game plan will help you succeed, so I've laid out some strategies to help you get started! Of course, these are things that we will work through together and that we will hold you accountable against.
One thing to consider when starting anything is why you’re doing it in the first place. Are you doing it for yourself or others? What do you hope to get out of it? These are conversations that we are going to have and constantly reflect back to, especially on days were it will be hard to find the motivation to get up and go workout or be consistent with your new habits. It should be something you want rather than something that you think you need. The motivating factor could be as simple as not wanting to be out of breath when taking the stairs or improving your mental health. Simply getting a regular exercise routine from me won't cut it though. It is entirely up to you whether or not you’re ready to make the change, but you cannot achieve your objectives if you’re not fully committed to the process. You can handle anything and everything that may occur no matter how difficult or challenging it will be!
Before we begin and you find this all a bit overwhelming, let me just tell you that for every point made on the next couple of pages, there are step-by-step guides to get you through them within this blog so don't freak out!!
Make a Plan and Write it Down
Having a plan is essential to any goal because you need to know what goals you wish to achieve and when you intend to get there. Be it for exercise, mealtime or meditation; it’s important to establish the best schedule for yourself. It's hard to fit these without planning, especially if you have a busy schedule. You will find a step by step guide below that will help you jumpstart your fitness journey.
Write down everything, your journey and the action plans you are going to take to achieve it. From when you will be working out to your nutrition plans / changes. Create a vision board if you feel more comfortable. Include everything from:
Old pictures of yourself
Nutritious foods and meals you like
Inspirational short stories
Journal clippings of how you felt at your lowest and how you feel when you were at your best
Everything and anything that highlights your ambition
Make it visible to you every day and slowly add things that you are beginning to accomplish.
Start with Baby Steps
It is best to start your fitness journey little by little. There’s no need to run a marathon or lift weights on Day 1, or you may end up getting injured and discouraged.
"We tend to forget that baby steps still move you forward."
Check Out Different Types Of Fitness Routines and Find Out What's Best for You
You need to know your likes and dislikes so you can be passionate about your fitness program. There are so many ways to workout that it can also become overwhelming. MAP Training helps you focus on resistance training that will get you strong, fit and lose weight. We make it simple for you whether you need an online coach that gives you program to follow in the gym or you want to workout from the comfort of your own home with a coach.
Experiment where possible and discover your fitness style so you can have the most fun while working out. Whatever you choose, make sure to include strength, training, cardio and high interval training in your exercise schedule. If you need more guidance on deciding what's best for you, feel free to jump on a free consultation call with us.
Track Your Progress
It’s important to track your fitness growth to make sure you stay motivated. With MAP Training you get all this right on your phone with an app that tracks both your workouts and meals to make sure you are hitting your goals
Stick to Healthy Habits (Habit tracker is at the back of your journal and one of the most effective ways to achieve your goals (in my opinion). Skip forward a few pages to check it out
Consistency is the biggest part of achieving your goals in having healthy habits. These habits can be as easy as going for a 30-minute workout three times a week and treating it as a ritual. These habits should be small changes to your every day life. Trying to make drastic changes all at once is very hard to maintain and be consistent with, resulting in you going back to your old habits easily. It’s important to remember that being healthy is a way of life, not a temporary solution.
Make sure the healthy habits you include in your daily routine are in line with your desired outcomes. It's also important to make these habits basic so that you can integrate them into your daily routine every day.
Sleep improvement and less screen time are examples of integrating healthy routines. It will both make you feel better every day and will also help you recover from your workouts.
Stick to one to three action plans at first, and if you can keep them up regularly, you can add more.
Use the 80-20 Rule
Keep in mind that starting your fitness path does not mean that you have to stop doing everything else. For most people, fitness, and health are all about striking a balance. Give yourself a break now and then!
It’s essential to discover something you enjoy while still having an open mind when it comes to fitness: so, be adaptable and change what you do not like. Patience and determination are what you need to achieve your goals. At the end of the day, you have to remember to be kind and loving to yourself.
You Made it!
So what’s next? I know you may be feeling a little lost now, but please don’t worry, there’s more to come! (read below) F
irstly, a huge congratulations for making it to the end of the guide! This is the start of incredible things for you and I’m so proud of you for making it this far.
I really hope you’re enjoying new healthy lifestyle habits, as well as increased energy levels.
This is not the end!
Putting Your Mission Statement To Work For You:
Nice work on completing your Mission Statement and jumpstarting your fitness journey! You now have a clear image of your goals and motivations.
Your next step is taking action! Head over to MAP Training, decide which workout type is best for you and get started! If you need some assistance in doing so, don't hesitate to make the most of our free consultation call!
This is a great opportunity, and I would love this chance to have a good experience with a healthy lifestyle that will help me grow into a better person.