Hi all! Today we are going to look into one of the most taken for granted topic and that is – Fitness. This is one of my favourite topics and I’m so happy to be sharing my thoughts about it. We shall look at the 7 steps involved to start your fitness journey!
Before you read further, the moment you heard the term ‘fitness’, honestly tell me didn’t you just think about exercise or the gym, physical movements. Well, that is where we go wrong my friend. Fitness is way over and beyond the physical movements we usually attach it to. It is not just about our physique but a lot more than that.
What is Fitness?
Fitness is a state where a person’s physical health and mental health are at their best! So not just the physical aspect of health but equally important is the mental aspect of health.
What is Physical fitness?
A person is physically fit if this person has a healthy weight, body function and is capable of performing and enjoying daily activities.
It has nothing to do with the usual statements that we hear – slim, lean, thin.
No, absolutely no. Instead it has to do with healthy body composition and being able to execute our daily activities with optimal performance.
What is Mental fitness?
Mental fitness relates to the emotional and mental health of a person. A person who is mentally fit has a better ability to react positively in different situations.
Now I understand it all sounds easier said than done. Most of you finally decide one day and start working out but that is not how it works. Well, it might work for a bit but not in the longer course of time. But, for you to be able to continue your health journey I am going to list down certain steps that you could follow to get started with the fitness game in life. Remember baby steps are what we want so that we will be able to continue our fitness journey for always! With that being said, I hope you readers enjoy the below steps which are suggestible from my personal experience and research.
How to start your fitness journey?
Step 1 – Start small, start today
Most important thing that we need to remember is to start small. We are trying to inculcate the habit to a healthy lifestyle so it takes time and by following small steps one at a time. You don’t need to sign-up for a gym today and go lift weights. No not at all, but instead you can start by taking a small walk around your house, say for 20 minutes and that would be a good happy start that we want.
Now don’t tell me you would just walk inside your house or bedroom for a while and decide your walk for the day is done. Well, if only it sounds that simple. That does not count like you started.
Get up from your bed/couch, get out of your house and go for a walk! It’s just that simple. Put some music on and walk for 15-20 minutes. The thing is we are trying to take a disciplined and balanced approach so being able to step up and go for a walk is a much needed start!
Step 2 – Fix your workout routine
Once you have adjusted your body to small walks and regular body movement, then comes the next step where you should fix your workout routine.
There are so many options available! You need to fix something that you like and enjoy. Do not pick something that might sound fancy or give faster results. Because we will not be able to continue something picked by force or not much of interest. So, you do you, is what I believe when it comes to fitness. Pick that kind of routine which keeps you pumped to do that everyday!
Options available – Gym, Pilates, Group fitness classes, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Yoga, Boxing, Aerobics, home workout sessions, Cycling and so many more!
Step 3 – Nutrition / food choices
If we think about fitness only in terms of exercise then we are going in the wrong direction. You need to make sure to give your body the right food and nutrients possible that would act as fuel to our workouts. The key term we need to remember here is :
‘Mindful eating is important’
This does not imply eating crazily less or eating less than we used to eat before. But, instead focus on what we have on our plate. Does it have the right nutrition value or not?
An ideal diet should include a good amount of protein, carbohydrates (yes carbs as well!), calcium and minerals. Macro nutrients form proteins, fat and carbs which give us major energy and micro nutrients are vitamins and minerals that come from fruits & vegetables.
So eat mindfully, making sure all these are ticked.
Educate yourself with what suits your body and supports your system. Just pure observation is more than enough here to study our own body.
Please consult a dietitian or nutritionist for expert advice or specific food guidance.
Step 4 – Get support
For the absolute beginners out here, this step is an important one too.
Now by support I did not mean a personal trainer. Nope nope, not at all. But, support in other forms like your friend where both of you could workout together and keep track of progress. This just helps us keep moving and accountable.
Or you can also get support from online coaches! In today’s time we have many possibilities around us where we can get support even without paying a penny.
There are also many fitness specific youtube channels which would help you to get started. End of the blog, I will list down a few of the online coaches and youtube channels which I love to follow and learn from. Do check them out!
Step 5 – Resting
See it’s not all that difficult (pun intended). There are also days where you need to give your body some needed rest. Your rest days are the time where your muscles relax, rebuild, grow and get better.
Rest days are also an important part of the routine. Once you get started with the routine and keep working out everyday, after a maximum of five days your body needs to rest. Don’t ignore that part or else your body gets too tired with all the exercises and it will break down soon. Without resting days you cannot go longer in your fitness journey. Everything needs some time off! So does our body too.
Step 6 – Something is better than nothing
This is an interesting point! Technically your physical fitness routine ends in the above step. But, by saying ‘something is better than nothing’ what I’m intending to say is there will be days where we are lazy, where we woke up late, where we are worried about our office and hence ignored workout, when we have other plans – in such cases always remember a day or two is okay to rest and take time for other things! But, say the third day, you need to get in control again.
For example if you woke up late as you slept through your alarm, don’t get stressed, we have all been there. During such days try to take 5 to 8 minutes in the day where you can complete your simple home movements or workouts or a quick yoga session or stretches! Even that would help a long way.
Step 7 – Other essentials
Today we discussed how to get started with your fitness journey. In this process it is very important to have a disciplined approach and balanced method of making things work for you.
Sleep schedule plays a major role in fitness journeys. You need to be able to fix healthy sleep timings and stick to it. Instead of having non-productive hours in the night, you can try to sleep early and wake up early. Okay I get it, it sounds easy but way harder to actually do that. I’m not telling you all to sleep by 9:30. But, you should be able to sleep earlier, say 11 maximum and not stay awake till 2 or 3am (Wow, how do people do that!)
Try for yourself, waking up early gives a lot of productive time in the day. Also if you stop using your phone itself at 1 am and then ofcourse our mind doesn’t sleep right away. It takes at least 30 minutes for our mind to calm down and stop thinking. It just doesn’t give a sound sleep and your body is not all pumped up and energetic in the morning to workout or even get your day started. So fix your sleep schedule! Very important.
Hydration please! Another important essential for a fitness journey is your hydration levels. It is very, very important to drink enough water during the day. Our body is made up mostly of water and as we sweat during the day, we need to get back that water level in our body so – drink water! It also plays a major role in having a good metabolism. Water is a must! Keep yourself hydrated.
Additional tips to remember!
Food alternatives – Just because you got started with your fitness journey that does not mean you need to let go of tasty food altogether. There are so many possible food alternatives that we can try. Just go to the grocery store and look out for healthy options! I’m sure there are many easy alternatives that we can try.
Instead of having fried stuff during evening snacks like fries or chips or pizza etc., you can instead try and have healthy stuff like corn salad or potato chat.
Instead of having tubs of chocolate ice cream or chocolate cakes, you can try to get brown sugar chocolate peanut butter and try that with bread.
Now I understand these might not taste as ‘yumm’ as other processed stuff tastes. But, this is only for our weekly food’s healthy versions. You don’t always need to have a corn salad. Once in a week have a cheat meal day! But, for the rest of the week switch to healthy alternatives! If you add some chilly flakes and oregano to your corn salad it takes ‘yumm’ enough to adjust (haha). Try to switch to healthier options during your everyday cravings is all that matters!
Online fitness coaches or channels – To start with there are so many! Few of the fitness channels on youtube which really helped me during the initial start were : Chloe ting or MadFit. One fitness and wellness coach available on Instagram is Puneet Rao. His fitness programs are really helpful too. If someone wants to check out free fitness apps then you should definitely check out Cult fitness app or the Nike app. These have great workout sessions as well!
There are many out there to begin with. You can try them out and keep moving forward with variations in the workouts.
I hope this blog was helpful for you to get started with your fitness journey! Remember one step at a time and do not rush. This is just the beginning and a lot to come up 🙂
See you guys soon. Keep moving!