Getting Started On A Fitness Journey: 3 Strategies For Success
Starting a fitness journey can be overwhelming, especially if you have been unsuccessful in the past. Taking each part of your journey a step at a time will make the process less intimidating and help you find a strategy you can stick with indefinitely.
Get Evaluated
Everyone should start their fitness journey with a thorough evaluation. This can include a visit to your doctor if you have not had a recent physical and blood work, and an estimate of your body fat percentage, if possible. Information from your doctor can determine if you are healthy enough to engage in certain exercises and guide you on the best dietary changes to make. If you have certain risk factors or health conditions, your doctor may want you to focus on these problems when you make dietary changes. There are several ways to estimate your body fat percentage, such as using a dunk tank, calipers, or a DEXA scan. Whichever method you choose, try to be consistent so it is easier to track changes.
Make Dietary Changes
Your diet is more important than any other changes you make. Fortunately, there are more options available to guide you on what you should eat to meet your goals. Some people choose customized templates because they are more affordable than visiting a nutritionist, but you might be more diligent about your changes if you talk to a professional regularly. For a fitness journey, it is important to choose a template or speak with a nutritionist that is geared toward physical fitness, not just weight loss. Your nutrition needs will be significantly different if you are trying to improve physical performance, gain muscle mass, and lose body fat, than just want to lose weight.
Choose Diverse Exercises
Many people speak with a personal trainer or at least join a gym that has various activities available. If you can hire a personal trainer, they can create a fitness program that takes into account your beginning level of fitness, interests, and physical goals. Some people find they are better able to stick with their program if they can keep their activities interesting and challenging. If you are doing your own programming, focus on a combination of cardio and strength-training activities that keeps you interested. Some people do better attending different exercises classes, whereas others take activities from competitive sports and integrate them into their routine. It also helps to have long-term goals, such as running in a race or competing in a sporting event. When you have a specific activity as a goal, it is easier to create a program around these fitness goals.
Systematically tackling each aspect of your fitness will help you create consistent changes that are necessary to reach your goals.