January is almost over. You probably created some New Year’s resolutions and planned the newest and “best” version on yourself. How are you doing so far? For those of who haven't quite got started yet this article is for you! Remember that the hardest part of your fitness journey is getting started. With all the information out there about different exercises and diets, starting out may feel intimidating, that’s why we’ve come up with a list of 8 tips on how to get started on your fitness journey.
The most important thing to think about at the start of any journey is why you're doing it. It might be hard to determine at first, but it’s important to figure out a reason that will push you to continue moving forward. It also needs to be something you want for yourself, not something others think you need. Something as simple as not wanting to feel out of breath when walking or wanting to have better mental health is a good place to start. Determining your why can help serve as your motivation to start and a push to keep on going.
Everyone says that they want to lose weight, become more healthy and gain more confidence, but what are the steps you should take to achieve those goals? Though it’s important to keep your end goal in mind, you should create smaller and more doable goals that can help you reach it. When looking at the goal of losing weight, break it down into things that you can have control over like moving more and managing your food intake. From there you can create SMART goals that can make losing weight more doable. A SMART goal is something that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. A good example of a SMART goal is to be able to complete a full LIT workout with Cass without breaks by the end of the month. This will give you a clear direction and help you find motivation even on those tough days.
In order to reach your goals, you need to develop a level of consistency - this is where healthy habits come in. These healthy habits can be as simple as taking a short 30 minute walk 3 times a week or something that requires a daily ritual like meditating everyday. Make sure that the healthy habits you add to your daily routine are aligned with the goals that you want to achieve. It’s also important to keep the habits simple so you can incorporate them into your life easily. If you're short on time and find life or work gets in the way you can try out Rebel15, a program full of 15 minute workouts. Trying to add too many things at once to create your “perfect daily routine” may do you more harm than good, since it might not be sustainable. Stick to 1-3 healthy habits at the start, if you’re able to keep them up consistently then maybe you can add more.
To make any goal successful, you must have a plan. Plans give ideas structure and can be used to track your progress, keep yourself motivated and most importantly, keep you accountable. When creating your plan, whether it be for exercise, meals, or meditation, it’s important to look at what you’ll be doing, when you’ll be doing it and how long you’ll be doing it for. Figure out the best schedule for you. Research shows that creating a structured plan increases the likelihood to reach your goals. Once you figure out the schedule that works for you, may it be HIIT the Beat with Hans at 7am or Meditation for Calmness with Nick before you sleep, incorporate it into your weekly agenda or even to your calendar to make sure that you’ll actually do it!
There are so many different ways to get your body moving and types of food you can eat. Determining the “best” exercise is actually figuring out what you enjoy and what is best for you. You may say that you hate cardio, but maybe that’s because you haven’t found a form of cardio that you actually enjoy! Instead of just looking at running, try out different things like biking, jump roping or swimming. Doing exercises that you enjoy allows you to burn calories while still having fun! Apply this principle in other aspects such as nutrition and wellness, and you will find that eating healthier and losing weight may be easier than you expected it to be.
Starting your fitness journey might be a little intimidating, so it’s nice to have someone with you every step of the way. Having a friend join you on the journey can help since you can keep each other motivated, accountable and have a good time while doing it. Studies show that having a reliable workout buddy makes you more likely to stick to your program. If you don’t have a willing friend, worry not! REBEL has a Facebook community group with like-minded REBEL users where you can share your fitness journey and motivate others along the way.
One of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make is doing too much, too soon. This can be going directly on a very strict long term diet or trying harder exercises before learning the basics. People tend to do this because they want a quick fix and want to reach their goals as soon as possible. However this strategy may make it harder to reach your goals because it leads to people getting burned out and can throw you off track completely. Remember - the faster you lose the weight, then there’s a greater chance you’ll gain it back. That’s why you should take it slow. Your fitness journey isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Being able to incorporate a routine into your life slowly will make it more sustainable and eventually your lifestyle.
Remember that starting your fitness journey doesn't mean stopping everything else! Fitness and health is all about balance for most people, unless you're an elite level athlete, which REBEL’s registered dietician and nutritionist Jo Sebastian mentions in her 3 Basic Nutrition Tips. If 80% of your lifestyle follows your plan, give yourself a break with the other 20%. There will be times when you don’t feel like working out and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. It’s important to listen to your body and let life happen. Eating a good meal, taking extra rest days and a little alcohol every now and then is alright! If you deprive yourself of those things, there’s a greater chance that you get off track and lose motivation completely. Just remember that it’s all about balance and moderation.
You can download the REBEL App for free to start your journey today.
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