Sounds like the start of a post about cake mixture, I promise it isn’t.
If I could give one piece of advice to everyone who is starting a fitness journey, it would be this…..
Always wear deodorant.
I am of course joking. It would actually be:
Finding a way of staying active that you ACTUALLY enjoy, is VERY important to the likelihood of you achieving your goals.
I’ll stop shouting random words now, I’ve made my point.
Here’s an example:
Forcing yourself to attend 7am spin class 4 times a week because Karen from accounts does it and she’s super fit - despite the fact you’d rather poke your own eyeballs out with a teaspoon - isn’t that constructive, trust me.
Shove it Karen.
You’ll do it with the best intentions for a couple of weeks and because you don’t enjoy it that much, you’ll end up stopping and suddenly you’re back at square one. Not where we want to be.
Should you try new things in pursuit of a healthier lifestyle? Absolutely.
Should you then stick with something despite really not enjoying it, but you feel like you SHOULD commit? Not at all. Here’s why.
DISCLAIMER
Now before we move on, I’m talking in the broader sense here - obviously if you have very specific fitness related goals then there are specific methods and ways of training that you’ll need to adhere to. However for the general population that would like to lose weight, tone up, become fitter and healthier, first things first.
YOU NEED TO GET MOVING
You owe it to yourself to find a way of moving that you don’t hate. In the whole wide world of fitness there are so many options available:
A huge variety of classes both online and in person.
Outdoor bootcamps, (If you don’t mind getting muddy)
Sports teams - enjoy ping pong? Find a local group.
Gyms (Obviously)
Running/walking/cycling groups
Virtual races
Obstacle races
Marathons, Triathlons, Biathlon etc.
Specific studio classes - I’m talking sweaty Yoga!
Dancing around your living room to some 90s bangers without a care in the world. (My personal favorite)
Not to mention the plethora of apps and videos all available at your fingertips.
YOU DO NOT….
Need a gym membership to become fitter and lose weight.
Need to commit to lengthy training regimes that you never look forward to.
Need to punish yourself.
YOU NEED….
To commit to yourself.
To commit to your body.
To commit to your goal.
Committing to something you look forward to is going to make it 100% easier, I promise.
Does this mean you’ll have to take some time to figure out what it is that you enjoy? Yes.
Does it mean that you’ll have to venture out of your comfort zone? Most likely.
Does it mean that those cycling shorts you bought with the best intentions are now going to sit in the bottom of your drawer for a few years? Yes.
That being said , if at the end of it you have found a method of exercise that you look forward to, that you make sure you have time for, that you’ll integrate into your life and form healthy habits, then that’s what is going to help you achieve your goals.
As a side note
One of the key things I ask potential clients during a consultation are their exercise preferences. It makes no sense to push yourself to do things you genuinely don’t want to do when there are options available, so I don’t program that way. Simple really, I like to get to know what people enjoy!
HERE IT IS:
If you enjoy it - you’re more likely to do it, therefore you're increasing your chances of being consistent and really that’s what we want when it comes to diet and exercise.
Thank you for joining me, I hope you’re all safe and well.
Stay home. Wash your hands. I was being very serious about the deodorant comment.
Melissa
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