Been a while since you set foot in a gym? Haven’t been for a run, or lifted any weights for some time now?
Or perhaps you are already an active person and want to improve your strength and fitness to support your lifestyle as you get older..
Whatever the reason for starting your new fitness routine, you have come to the right place!
Firstly, lets talk about what fitness means to you and start with changing your mindset around what a fitness routine is and why you may have failed in the past to make a healthier lifestyle stick.
A new fitness routine is all about creating new habits to sustain exercise and a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to understand that just like any habit or lifestyle change, getting into a regular fitness routine takes time, effort and most importantly, consistency.
“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” ― John C. Maxwell
The key to changing a habit is to start with some basics. Focus on 1 or 2 simple things you can change first; once those things become part of your daily routine, you can move onto 1 or 2 more things you can change. Make a plan for the changes you want to make – Maybe add them to your calendar each day.
If your stuck for ideas on simple, easy to begin with changes, we have made you a list for inspiration;
- Set a sleep alarm for 8 hours and stick to it on weeknights
- Track your hydration and ensure you drink 3 litres of water every-day
- Make the switch to ‘sugar free’ drinks
- Ditch the chocolate bar at 3pm and grab a small handful of almonds instead
- Walk the kids to school instead of driving
- Eat your 2 fruit and 5 veg each day – you can incorporate fresh juice or a stir-fry
- Stand-up and walk around every 40 minutes to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing (Set an alarm for this one too)
- Cut down on alcohol, not saying cut it out all together.. Just cut back a little
They say it takes at least 2 weeks for repetition to become a habit (not quite sure who “they” are, but it sounds scientific right!). Making small, easy changes to begin with is also great for your motivation. When you decide on a few simple ‘habit’ changes, write them down and once you have aced it, you can check it off..
Remember.. Just 1 or 2 small changes at a time is enough. Avoid the temptation to aim for too much too quickly. Making big changes to exercise and nutrition all at once can play havoc on your body depending on your starting point. Forming new habits or changing old ones is not as easy as it sounds and can be taxing on your mind and body.
Its always best to speak to your GP or a registered dietician when undertaking major changes to your eating habits.
For your new fitness routine to become a sustainable lifestyle change, its going to take all you’ve got, Its going to take work..
If you ‘fall off the wagon’ and skip a training day, or binge eat something with too many calories, try not to beat yourself up about it. Don’t dwell on it, learn from it and move forward.. fast. Get back on track with your eating, get back into that gym and train. Whatever it is you need to do, just do it… Jump back on that wagon
S0… Are you ready to make your new fitness routine, ‘routine’?
We think you are! Here are our top tips to planning for success and lasting results for your new fitness routine;
1. Make SMART goals.
Making goals is essential to your success. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time bound. You need to get clear on the purpose of your goals, more specific you can be about your goals, the more chance you have of achieving them.
We have a few different guides that can help you to make clear goals and actually achieve them. Check out our S.M.A.R.T Goals to Success guide and learn how you can set-goals and reach them!
2. Start out slow
Your body won’t be used to your new training regime, so set yourself at least 2 training days per week (or 2 extra, depending on your current activity levels) just to begin with. Successfully completing 2 training sessions per week is realistic, if you complete more than 2 then you can feel really good knowing your smashing your goals and then increase to 3 or even 4 training sessions per week.
Our ‘start out slow’ motto also extends to the changing of other lifestyle habits and any nutritional changes your wanting to make to your diet. Cutting out certain food groups or going cold turkey on alcohol or cigarettes can lead to the body having withdrawals which might hinder your motivation.
3. Make exercise an appointment for yourself.
And don’t cancel!
Schedule your workouts into your daily calendar. Plan your day out so you know when & how much time you will have to train. Take that time to do a FULL training session, no Distractions and NO excuses. If something (like life or lockdowns) gets in the way, reschedule your training session – Don’t cancel
4. Listen to your body.
Its important to know what your body is telling you. Muscle soreness from exercise will fade. Injuries & muscle tears are another story and need to be assessed by a professional to ensure your not doing any lasting or permanent damage. Listening to your body is not just about your muscles, its about the fuel your body needs to handle the changes you are making. Nutrition, hydration and vitamins or supplements can help you recover faster from a big training session. If you need advice, you can talk to the team at your gym, health food store or if you have specific dietary requirements, consult your doctor or dietician.
5. Ask for help.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice about your training. If you are a member of your local gym, the team in-club are there to help. If you are starting a running, cycling or swimming program, there are groups and associations you can be a part of where the members are usually very welcoming and willing to help you get started. So many options!
6. Surround yourself with positive vibes.
Tell your friends & loved ones about the new fitness and lifestyle changes you are making. Make people aware that a new fitness routine is important to you and you need their support. Make friends with other members at your gym, make friends with the team. You can never have too many friends looking out for you!
7. Be Kind to yourself.
Starting out is no easy task, it can be very daunting and a lot of the time Netflix can call to you louder than the gym! Just remember each training session brings you one step closer to your goals and doing something (even 20mins on the treadmill) is better than doing nothing.
Whatever your new fitness routine includes; remember the basics..
Start out slow, form new habits and be kind to yourself. Lifestyle changes are like a marathon, not a sprint.. slow and steady wins the race.
If you need more handy tips on how you can ace your new fitness routine and keep the motivation going, check out our website