Best Tips to Begin your Fitness Journey

For many people, the thought of beginning anything new is overwhelming. We fear we’ll be judged, not good, or fail. We tend to focus on the potential negatives likely as a survival mechanism, but things like starting to exercise aren’t survival for most people. We often tell ourselves that we’re way behind everyone else, we need more time, we need more resources, and the list goes on. This is all to delay the thing that matters most, action. After 15 years of coaching, we’ve helped a lot of people begin their fitness journey who were at every level of fitness. The people who have long term success with it, share similar traits that allows them to enjoy the process, the workouts, and be part of a community at the same time. Before you listen to another podcast or read about the current best diet, read this list and let it help move you into action of beginning your fitness journey now. Nothing will be as powerful as the action of starting. 

1- Long term change. When people come to us ready to make a long term change, they have a much higher success than people who want their results in under 90 days. We can all achieve results in 90 days of commitment, but most people can’t sustain those results for the long term. This begins the never ending cycle of frustration that so many people get caught in. To continue to work towards something that you can’t physically see requires faith. You have to have faith in yourself and to whatever process you’re doing to see it pay off long term. This is why every training plan or nutrition will work for some and fail for others. If we believe something is going to work, it does better than something we don’t believe is going to help us. 

2- Make appointments. Treat your workouts like an appointment. Maybe one of the best things my middle school football coach did for us when he taught us how to lift was put us on a schedule. We worked out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday right after school. This eliminated the decision fatigue of when to workout that happens to many people. This simply eliminates any question about how or when workouts will happen. I probably stuck with that schedule for five years until I was working third shift in a warehouse. That is how powerful it can be to have a set routine in place. This eliminates trying to decide if you should work out each day when you wake up and maybe don’t feel the best or are tired. As someone with a 1 year old who doesn’t like sleep, I’ve learned if I only trained when I felt well rested and motivated then I wouldn’t get many workouts in. Make a schedule that’s realistic to your life and stick to it. Plan everything else around it. You boss gets 8 or more hours a day, your home responsibilities, and so on take time. Spending an hour a few times a week isn’t selfish, it’s self improvement. 

3- Keep the goal the goal. Have you ever accomplished something you set out to do only to feel like there was something missing after? Many times when this happens it’s because we simply move the goal post. In powerlifting competitions, I would see people hit a 20lb or more personal record on a lift, only to feel discouraged because someone else had a bigger personal record or just simply lifted more weight that day. Someone else having success doesn’t take away your accomplishments. A common goal post shift we see is people come in to lose 10lbs, only to be upset when they’ve lost the 10lbs and don’t have six pack abs. There’s a few points to this. First, we can’t only reduce the fat from our midsection. Secondly, we have more than the last 10lbs of fat to lose. Lastly, we need to acknowledge that the numbers can’t be a source of happiness. It’s just a number that will fluctuate every single day. We can acknowledge how we feel at different bodyweight or enjoy the things we’re able to do at a different weight. The number on the scale is almost always irrelevant, but how we feel doing the things we love is the true reason. Don’t let a little progress be the end to your progress. 

4- They join a community. Having a goal that no one knows about has a low rate of success. Having a goal and writing it down in a place where you’ll see it has a little higher rate of success. Having a goal and telling other people can help create support and accountability. Being in a community where people have similar goals and people have more experience than you will fast track your progress. The community has an added bonus when they meet at certain times and days on a recurring basis. 

If you’re completely new to exercise, it can feel very overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. Taking the first step towards action is a step that will help you build momentum towards tackling your goals. If the thought of starting seems overwhelming, reach out to a coach to help you go step by step. Often times we build up self doubt, but a coach can help you lay out a plan that brings you relief and a vision. One step forward is always better than another day of delay. 

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