This blog post is all about taking it back to the basics and establishing some awesome (and super effective) initial strategies for those who are new to fitness and want to make their own healthy lifestyle change! I couldn’t always squat, bench press or burpee like I do now... but I started off small and simple, and eventually my progression with fitness and training grew into a fully fledged career.
As you know, fitness is part of my daily routine and has been for the past 5 years (also the best 5 years of my life… coincidence? I don’t think so!)… And girls, it has improved both my physical and mental health more than I could have ever hoped it would! That’s why I want to share with you my TOP 5 fitness tips for beginners, so you can experience the positive effects of a consistent fitness routine and start smashing your goals too!
*cue drumroll please*
1. Know your “why”, and then make your fitness goals!
This is the most important part of starting most new journeys, not just with your health and fitness! Knowing your “why” is understanding exactly WHY you want to do something. Knowing your intentions will help you set the right goals and give you a solid foundation to progress off. So, I encourage you to sit down with a pen and some paper, and write down why you want to get into fitness. Do you want to improve your health? Do you strive to be super fit? Do you want to make it onto a sporting team at school? Whatever your reasons are, write them down! Be careful though, make sure your reasons are surrounded by positivity, not negativity such as “I am too fat” or “My friends are skinnier than me.” If these are your intentions from the beginning, you will never have the motivation to stick with it, and your goals will most likely become unrealistic and unachievable. You also risk fostering a negative relationship with exercise. Exercise is meant to make you happy, healthy, fit and strong!
2. Use a Buddy System!
This is easily one of my favourite tips for those who are lacking in the motivation department! Partnering up with a friend, family member or even attending group classes at a gym will help to keep you accountable! You wouldn’t let down your friend down for a pre-scheduled early morning workout, would you!? Of course not… (I definitely hope not!) Not only will this keep you accountable, but you can use each other as huge motivational tools. Does one of you run a bit quicker than the other? Or perhaps your buddy might be a little bit stronger than you? Whatever it is, use your inner competitiveness to bring out the best in each other! I LOVE doing a workout with someone who can challenge me … It makes me train harder and keeps me motivated!
3. Start off small and switch it up!
I know you may be super eager to get into the gym and try every piece of equipment you lay your eyes on, but remember to start off slow! Starting off with short 30 minute workouts (with professional guidance) will help your body adjust to your new fitspo attitude and prevent injury from occurring! You definitely don’t want to push yourself too hard and end up hating exercise altogether either… especially not when you’ve just spent your week’s earnings on cute gym gear! Something I also recommend is switching up your form of exercise regularly! Do some cardio training one day, maybe some resistance training the next… or give boxing or pilates go if that interests you too! You never really know which form of exercise your body will respond to better but it’s good to find out what type of exercise YOU love to do. There’s nothing worse than making yourself run for kilometers on the treadmill if you absolutely HATE running! Find something you enjoy and watch yourself flourish GF! I tried to convince myself I loved cardio for years before I explored weight training, and now I will never look back! My body loves it, I love it and it keeps makes me excited to train!
4. Don’t compare yourself to others!
This is a big one girls! I know from my own personal experiences that mindset is crucial to your success and achieving your fitness goals. For example, what’s not going to help you is comparing yourself to others! Everyone is completely different and no one will be on the exact same journey as you. We all start at different places, so there is no point in comparing yourself with people further along in their journey than you! Remind yourself that the people you are comparing yourself to now, started off as beginners too! You should strive to smash your own goals, and to be the healthiest version of YOU!
5. Master the fundamentals before going for the advanced exercises/machines
This is something I’ve taken seriously from the beginning! I’m a huge advocate for doing things correctly! There’s not point in completing a workout if your form or technique is completely wrong. Not only will you injure yourself but you will not receive the full benefits of your workout (you don’t want to waste that precious 30 minutes, do you!?) I still see personal trainer to this day @laurajane.mcdonough and I made sure that I could master the basics on my own with her help before I progressed.
I implemented each of these 5 tips into my fitness routine when I first began my health and fitness journey, and they’ve truly helped me get to where I am today! So I hope they help you too! Your health is so important, so take care of it, and most importantly, have fun with it!
PS. If you’re looking for some yummy and HEALTHY recipes to give your journey the little kickstart it needs, my eBook titled ‘Find Your Healthy’ is packed full with nutritious, wholesome and delicious recipes to compliment your fitness journey and make healthy eating a breeze!
Get Find Your Healthy here!
Love always,
G x