Starting a fitness/healthy lifestyle journey can sometimes be overwhelming. Heading to the gym can be intimidating, you may not know where to start with home workouts & you've come across that many FAD diets that you don't know whats right or wrong when it comes to eating/drinking well.
I want to make this easy for us women & i'm going to start by breaking down my Top 10 tips that will help you form the right mindset around fitness & health, as well guide you to initiating some new habits.
So lets begin...
TIP 1
Set your goals (& be clear about them)
Firstly, think about WHY you are starting this journey & ask yourself what you want to achieve from this.
A few questions to consider are:
- How are you going to include fitness into your day to day routine?
- Why is now the time to add fitness into your lifestyle?
- Are you willing to commit?
Once you have figured out your WHY & WHAT, then write out your goals.
Make sure your goals are:
- realistic (for example, you are not going to 'lose a stone' in a week, this is not realistic and most of all not healthy)
- measurable (include dates or a time frame that you would like to achieve these goals by)
- relevant (make sure that these goals are relevant & lead you in the right direction)
Add your goals to your accountability tracker, available to download for FREE here , so that you can keep a track of your progress & stay motivated.
TIP 2
Ease yourself into a workout routine.
It is easy to burn yourself out in the beginning, and try and spread your time & efforts out thinly by doing 3 workouts a day or trying to do intense exercise every day of the week. It doesn't have to be this way.
Take it back a step! Start with a 30 minute workout, 3 times a week - this can be as light or as intense as you want it to be. Commit to this for around 3-4 weeks and then if you feel like you would like to do more, add a 4th day of working out or light exercise in there.
Easing yourself into this type of routine will avoid burn out and it will keep you motivated to keep going. I also advise my clients to try and get 10K+ steps in each day. Walking is amazing for the mind, body & soul and is a fab way to keep active. There's nothing better than taking a break from everything & getting outside for a walk in the fresh air.
TIP 3
Consistency over intensity.
I briefly mentioned this in the last tip, but it is important to focus on the consistency of your workout routine, rather than the intensity.
For example: doing a 30 minute moderate intensity workout 3 times a week is a better place to start than doing an hour long intense workout 5 times a week.
Jumping into working out 5 times a week isn't sustainable & will be harder to stick, which means it will be harder to reach your goals. DON'T RUSH IT honey, you will still see the results from moderate workouts 3 times per week.
TIP 4
Find ways to keep accountable.
Whether it's getting a friend to join in with your home workouts (i know this isn't something we can do physically right now, but maybe virtually?), dragging them along to the gym with you (when they open up again) or getting yourself a coach who will support you & keep you accountable. Having someone their to support and encourage you will not only keep you motivated & make your working out time more enjoyable, but it will help you achieve your goals too.
You and your accountability partner can also do things like encourage each other to eat better, keep hydrated (eg, send each other water reminder messages to keep on track) and also talk to keep each other motivated when times get tough & you feel like quitting.
As a coach, I always make sure my clients have the support they need from me to stay on track & they also know that they can talk to me when they are feeling stressed or have something on their mind, that may be effecting their mental or physical health.
TIP 5 (& probably the most important one)
Do workouts that you ENJOY
What's the use in trying to create a lifestyle that you dislike? Exactly, there isn't any use in that, and that's why it is important to find the type of workouts/exercise that you enjoy, and stick to them.
Your focus is to progress & stay focused on sticking to a regular routine, so that you embed this new lifestyle & start to feel AMAZING, and the easiest way to do this is by enjoying the journey.
TIP 6
Make a motivational playlist
Okay, I change my mind, this is the most important one!
Working out to music that you love can actual bring comfort to your workout, and motivate you to push through it. Choose some upbeat songs, maybe your fave 90's dance throwbacks, or some uplifting pop music - choose music that makes you feel good & confident in yourself.
In my classes, we LOVE a good Sass playlist or a Girl Power Hour, to push us through and keep us going until the end!
TIP 7
Meal Prep
I speak about this a lot in my Guide to Nutrition here, but I believe that Meal Preparation is KEY to keeping on track with your diet whilst working out & living a healthier lifestyle.
It is a great way to ensure that you are eating healthy nutritious foods that will fuel your body, so you have the energy to workout to your best ability. By preparing your meals in advance, you are saving that dreaded time and hassle of making the decision of what to eat last minute, during your busy schedule.
TIP 8
Drink your water!!!
Keeping hydrated is VITAL when it comes to life in general, not just fitness. Staying hydrated leads to optimal results when working out, but also leads to healthy physical & mental functioning.
It is advised that you should drink 2-3L of water per day & this will ensure that you are hydrated before and after exercise.
Drinking water cleanses the body and flushes out all of the bad toxins, to have you feeling healthy from the inside to the outside.
TIP 9
You are YOU. Do NOT compare yourself to another.
Now THIS is a BIGGIE. As a beginner, it is so easy to sit at the gym or in a workout class and compare yourself to every one around you. You need to note that it is INEVITABLE that you are going to be seeing people who are more advanced than you, who have maybe been doing this longer than you, or who are actually professionals in this area. What you need to remember is that 'EVERYONE STARTS SOMEWHERE'.
It is OK to make mistakes, and you don't have to beat yourself up about it. The more you keep working out, the better you will become and the stronger you will feel.
TIP 10
Love the body you have now & be grateful for it.
Self love comes from within. You can have goals, but you can still love and appreciate your body at the same time. Your body is your home. Your body protects you and is keeping you alive. The most important thing to realise on this fitness & health journey is that you are doing this to take care of your body. No matter what the end goals are, no matter what the transformation looks like, you need to appreciate what your body can do now & this kind of positive mindset will help you in becoming stronger, fitter, happier & healthier.
I hope that these tips have helped you & given you some guidance on where to start on your fitness journey.
If you are wanting to start your fitness journey today, and have that support and accountability along the way, then please get in contact with me jasmineannefitness@gmail.com or if you are wanting to get on board with my classes today, you can click here for more information.
Don't forget to follow my Instagram for more fitness & health motivation.