You have finally made the decision that you are going to start a fitness program. Great! Now what? There are many reasons why people decide to start a fitness program. Your Doctor has told you that you need more exercise, you have stood by while a family member became less independent as they aged, your clothing just doesn’t fit right, or you just want to become healthier. Whatever your reason to start a fitness program, know you are making the right decision.
Most people have some type of epiphany that causes them to want to get fit. But here is how these decisions usually go down. On day 1 you decide that you want to get fit. It’s Saturday and for whatever reason you decide to do it…on Monday. You don’t make much of a plan so the first thing that comes to mind is that starting Monday you will start off by eating a healthy breakfast. That is about as far as you go with your planning.
Monday comes around and your plan to eat a healthy breakfast is to eat two slices of toast and a cup of coffee because you are running late. Since you haven’t planned your diet for the day you do not bring anything with you to eat. At lunch you decide that you will eat a moderate lunch at the corner restaurant. But since you only had two pieces of toast for breakfast you are STARVING! You decide that you can eat a ‘little extra’ since you had a light breakfast.
There are about 2 hours left in your work day and you’re exhausted. During your drive home you realize that you have not brought your workout clothes with you because you were running late this morning. You are fighting to keep your eyes open during your drive home after work. You mind bypasses your thoughts of getting in a workout and moves to all of the ‘chores’ you have to do when you get home. As you pass the location of the fitness center or gym your mind briefly revisits your plan to start a fitness program.
When you walk through the door at your house you toss your keys on to the counter, drop your purse or work bag on the floor, kick your shoes off, and plop down on the sofa. After an hour your wake up and realize that you have not started any of your chores. You jump up with burst of energy to get started. Once your chores are done you decide on having dinner. You tell yourself that you ate a small breakfast, a medium sized lunch, and now you need to reward yourself with a hefty dinner.
Once dinner is done you sit back on the sofa and the guilt starts kicking in. You receive a call from your mother and she is telling you about all of her health problems and how she can’t move around like she used to. “It’s not easy getting old,” she tells you. Now you begin telling yourself that you will wake up tomorrow and eat a healthy breakfast. The saga continues!
The best words I was ever told by one of my mentors is “plan your work and work your plan.” Seems easy right? These are some of the truest words ever told when you are trying to get healthy and fit. People seem to think that you can just get started and it takes no planning or research. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The truth is that whether you’re a professional fitness athlete or a fitness enthusiast, we all started the same way. The difference is in the planning. Those who find it hard to create a plan will never succeed in reaching their fitness goals; or any goal for that matter.
The first step to getting started is to determine what is the best diet that will supply your body with continuous energy and nutrition to help you to lose fat or gain muscle. I start off my week with having at least 3 full days of meals prepared to take with me. It is much easier to throw some Tupperware into a small cooler or lunch sack then it is to try and cook and gather all of what you need in the morning. If I run out of food I will cook it while I am doing my chores around the house. You have to Multitask!
To start off with your training program you should write down what your plan is when you get to the gym. Which body parts are you going to work on? How much cardio are you going to do? Hold yourself accountable. Getting there is half the battle. Force yourself to turn into that parking lot and not look and drive by.
Set realistic goals! You’ve probably heard this many times. But you cannot expect to start on a Monday and have that ‘pool body’ by Saturday. It’s just not realistic, right? So then set your goals according to your level of fitness. During your first 2 weeks maybe set the goal of actually going to the gym and working out. Even if you seem to be just going through the motions you will train your mind and body that you need to be there. Besides there are no professional or amateur fitness athletes who hasn’t gone to the gym in a haze and had a less then par workout.
After a few short weeks of following your plan you will, mentally and physically, feel it if you miss your workout. It will become a habit. Trust me. There will be more days that you go into the gym and have a great workout than have a bad workout.
The fitness mindset takes some time to develop. In the beginning it will take you pushing yourself to adhere to your plan. But understand that it will develop. Once you start to see the results of your hard work and dedication it won’t seem like so much of a chore. It is so much more than just something you do. It’s an amazing journey and lifestyle that not much else can compare to.
Those who have been involved in a fitness program for a long time or those who have stepped up to complete have conditioned their minds and their lives around a healthy life. Once you understand all of the facets of living a healthier life you’ll wonder why you did not start sooner.
