How to Start Your Fitness Journey
How to Start Your Fitness Journey: Intro
So, you want to know how to start your fitness journey to transform your health and become a new you.
You'll be happy to know you're in the right place.
You'll learn all the tips, tricks, n' tactics that helped me get fit and lose weight when I started, as well as how I've helped Kairos Online members via my online coaching.
So, let's begin the 'How to start your fitness journey' article.
Don't be Afraid to Start Slowly
The first key point on how to start your fitness journey is probably the least sexy of all; it's the fact that you should never be afraid to 'start small'.
"Start small?! Pfft, I want to get fit and lose weight now! I haven't got time for small."
Woah, okay, let's take a step back - because it’s you always going in with this mindset of wanting to know how to lose weight and tone up fast that's holding you back.
How so? The fact that you're constantly telling yourself that you'll start next Monday is the most obvious indicator that you're taking on too much too soon.
If you want to understand how to start your fitness journey sustainably, then the best thing you can do is realise it's okay to start slowly.
Because right now, your mindset on how to transform your health is probably something like this:
"If I can get fit and lose weight on 2,000 calories daily, then if I eat 1,300 daily, it'll be even faster."
Or "If going to the gym 3x a week is good, then surely 6/7x a week is even better for my fitness journey."
Or "If my step goal is 9,000, then aiming for 16,000 is superior for a total health and fitness reboot."
Whereas in reality, there'd be nothing wrong with it looking like this:
"I know I want to find out how to lose weight and tone up fast, but intense approaches have never worked - so maybe I'll start with eating more fruit and veg every day and going on 15-minute walks."
"I've always found six workouts a week tough to stick with when wanting to get fit and toned, so I'll aim for 2 to 3 a week this time and aim to be consistent with that."
"I want to change my dietary habits for 50 years and not just 50 days, so I'm going to focus on more positive nutrition habits like more protein and water rather than cutting out all carbohydrates or sugar like I usually do."
How to Start Your Fitness Journey: Dietary Habits
Before starting this section, note that if switching up your dietary habits and physical activity levels simultaneously feels a bit overwhelming when learning how to start your fitness journey, then understand there's nothing wrong with only picking one to focus on for now.
Anyway, dietary habits.
You'd be correct in saying it's essential, but where to start with your dietary habits isn't necessarily about what you want to do right now, as you're most likely feeling 'motivated' (I'm assuming this because you've made it this far within the article).
Instead, I want you to pick a dietary approach that'll help transform your health over the long term so you can be consistent with it in 6-12 months, during phases of demotivation too.
For Example, the 3-2-1 Method
Picking dietary habits as simple as the 3-2-1 method could be a great start if you struggle to stick to anything.
This is when you:
Have at least three bottles of water a day (500ml bottles are fine)
Two pieces of fruit a day
A bowl of salad a day
It may not sound like much regarding how to lose weight and tone up fast, but remember - you're not aiming for fast here.
You're learning how to start your fitness journey sustainably. Beginning with the 3-2-1 method could help you pick up better habits and momentum to start being more consistent with other approaches that require more effort towards "how to start your fitness journey."
So please, no more about the "how to lose weight and tone up fast" stuff.
Although if You do Feel Ready to Start With Something More, Then I'd Recommend:
Tracking just your calories for 30 days
Tracking your calories and protein for just 30 days
Tracking your calories and protein for 1-6 months.
In that order.
Or if calorie tracking isn't for you, do 3 plates and 2 snacks as shown in the image.
Although remember that when it comes to your fitness journey, no approach will ever work if you're not consistent with it.
How consistent should you be? 85-95% is a sweet spot because 100% isn't ever better - it's prison, and sometimes there's more to life.
So now you know how to start your fitness journey by addressing your dietary habits.
Note 1:
That's not to say that on the other 10-15% of the days of the month, you should go all out and eat everything in sight, as that could lead to a total health and fitness yo-yo. But consider having meals out with friends or family occasionally, etc.
Note 2:
If you're interested in tracking your calories to help transform your health, click here for my 'The ultimate guide on tracking calories for weight loss' video once you're done reading this.
How to Start Your Fitness Journey: Training
Like dietary habits, you shouldn't hesitate to start slowly with training on your fitness journey.
Should You Start With Resistance Training or Cardio?
Well, why pick? Ideally, go for both. Although if your fitness journey is limited on time throughout the week due to other responsibilities, I'd pick resistance training.
Plus, I know you're here because you want to figure out how to start your fitness journey. So remember, going to the gym almost every day or twice a day is never necessary because you'll be doing too much again.
Nor will it help with faster results - regardless of whether you want to get fit and toned or make more minor positive habit changes to learn how to transform your health.
Picking the most sustainable option is always crucial, and if that's 2-3 days per week - so be it.
A sweet spot is 3-5x weekly because it has sufficient recovery time and will also provide a significant stimulus if you train well.
Gym Intimidation
If you want to transform your health but you feel uncomfortable going to the gym, then perhaps try going through the below stages step by step:
Read my 'How to get over gym intimidation' article. This is also full of tips on how to start your fitness journey.
If you have more than one local gym, you should tour a few different ones before committing to one.
That'll help give you confidence in picking a gym with the right environment.
Have a PT give you an induction so you can learn how to use the machines—this is usually free.
Attend a class. This could allow you to meet a few people and make you feel more comfortable on your fitness journey.
Have your first one or two workouts entirely based on the area you feel most comfortable in, e.g. cardio equipment, resistance machines etc.
Have a workout with a friend.
Hire someone to help, whether with Kairos Online or a 1-2-1 personal trainer. Having someone guide you can be game-changing because you don't have any guesswork.
Fast forward a year, and we have a total health and fitness transformation. This can be something other than a physical transformation because mental matters too.
Raising the fact that your goal doesn't always need to be aesthetic; it could be a performance-based goal too, e.g. doing your first full pull-up, your first five push-ups, deadlifting your body weight etc.
You also have infinitely more control over performance goals than aesthetic goals, which is why they're much better.
Ironically, not only will performance goals help transform your health - but sometimes aesthetics follow without the 'obsession'.
Note:
If you need help with what to do for your resistance training sessions, click here to grab your free 'full body workout' plan.
How to Start Your Fitness Journey: What Not to Do
Do not go from never working out to working out every single day and/or twice a day because you think it'll get you fit and toned quickly - it will not work long-term. Start sustainably, e.g. ideally 2-5x a week.
Refrain from looking at everything you can 'exclude' from your dietary habits, e.g. carbohydrates, sugar etc. because this isn't necessary.
Instead, look at everything you could 'include' more, e.g. protein, vegetables, fruit, and water. Inclusion = superior dietary habits.
Do not do the most complicated exercises you see on social media for your fitness journey. They usually have a high injury risk, and the potential upsides are ironically inferior.
These are the same people pushing the rubbish on how to lose weight and tone up fast 'secrets'.
Instead, start with basic exercises, e.g. deadlift, squat, lunge, press, and pull - because the basics work exceptionally well forever.
Don't aim for 100% consistency because this isn't realistic - regardless if you're wondering how to start your fitness journey or you're more advanced. 85-95% consistency is a solid amount to aim for.
How to Start Your Fitness Journey: Ending
Thank you for reading the article 'How to start your fitness journey'.
If you have any other fitness journey or questions about how to transform your health, check out my podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Speak soon,
Leo
P.S. If you enjoyed reading this, then please share it on your Twitter and/or Facebook - it could change someone else's life :)