The world of physical fitness feels overwhelming, right? Be it the lost feeling you get when you walk into a conventional gym, the excuses that pile up faster than you can KEEP up or the life situations that inevitably get in the way … starting, let alone keeping a routine can feel intimidating for sure. But let’s talk about the starting part today. We’ve written a couple posts that talk about motivation as it relates to keeping a routine once you’ve created it. Today is dedicated to the pursuit of health with a regular exercise routine. You, yes YOU, can do this. With a little grit, some guidance and whole lotta’ self-love it is definitely possible. Check out our top tips below as we head into the next season of our Get Fit Challenge, and don’t forget to share this blog with a friend who could use some motivation and doesn’t know where to start!
1. Look inside and find your “why”.
No journey worth pursuing just happens. There’s a strong “why” behind it that propels it forward and keeps it going when, well, the going gets tough. If for example, your main motivation for starting a new fitness journey is that you want to be skinny again, your chance of long-term success is nil. Now, we’re not saying that weight loss is a bad goal; it’s simply what we can an external motivator rather than internal one. That is, it might not be deep enough to keep you going on those especially hard days and weeks, and before you know it you feel like you’re back where you started. Your foundational “why” should be something deeper, what we call an internal motivation. Something like:
- Getting rid of medications that are unnecessary with lifestyle changes.
- Being able to keep up with your kids/grandkids and enjoy life with them instead of watching from the sidelines.
- Being a good role model for those in your life who are looking to you for guidance.
- Managing or even better, eliminating chronic disease and illness born from poor lifestyle.
These are just a few examples. We encourage you to sit down and make a list of all the internal, deeper motivations for starting a new fitness journey. Make them deeper than the excuses that pop up when you start to feel intimidated by your new fitness adventure. Once you’ve got your list make three copies: one for the bathroom mirror, one for the fridge and one for your car. This way you’ll be constantly reminded of your deeper commitment to your health and well-being!
2. Practice patience!
Wouldn’t it be nice if weight just melted off? Seriously, we’re with you on that; how frustrating that pounds tend to pile on much faster than they come off. The good news is, when you treat this as a journey, the timeline doesn’t have to feel so daunting. A lot of people who start a new fitness routine give up quite early, and can you guess why?
YUP! They don’t see results fast enough.
But let’s talk about what “results” really mean, anyway. We all know that losing weight too quickly 99.9% of the time leads to even faster weight gain. Show of hands: who here has lost a TON of weight in a short amount of time and kept it off? We’re going to guess very few. Doing outlandish things and working out for 2-3 hours per day 7 days per week is not sustainable long term. Slow and steady really does win the race, and don’t forget to celebrate those NSVs (Non-Scale Victories). Things like:
- Clothes fitting looser. Okay, so the scale hasn’t moved yet. But you’re clearly getting smaller which was the goal, right? So stop obsessing over an arbitrary numbers machine and actually pay attention to the changes in your body.
- Getting better sleep and feeling vibrant. It’s a by-product of regular exercise, so when this lovely side effect hits you, embrace it with wide open arms.
- Feeling HAPPIER from that endorphin glow each day. Starting or ending your day with an amazing workout and that lovely life elixir called sweat.
- Being more PRODUCTIVE because you have more energy to show up for your life in a really positive way.
So the next time you find ourself obsessing about the numbers, take a step back and remember that no great feat happened overnight. It was consistent dedication, willpower and most importantly the practice of patience.
3. Get your nutrition in check.
It’s no secret that you can’t out-train a bad diet. Period. No exceptions. You might be able to escape those poor food choices for awhile, but when life gets in the way and your marathon gym sessions are no longer working you’ll be left feeling deflated. So let’s start off on the right foot by making better food choices NOW! The good news is, when you exercise regularly you naturally start to make healthier food choices in general, because, who wants to waste that hour long sweat sesh with a bag of Hot Cheetos? Starting a healthy eating plan is the perfect companion for your new exercise routine and will compliment all of your hard work. Be it our Get Fit Challenge or something you do on your own, find your flow and rock it.
4. Don’t go it alone.
There’s a reason so many people are turning to boutique fitness. The conventional gym world can feel scary if you’re new or re-emerging back into the fitness world.
What do these machines do?
Where do I start?
It feels awkward working out around a bunch of strangers.
Why does this feel like a dating app?
I guess I’ll just do the elliptical for ten minutes.
Are all common thoughts people have when walking into a “big box” gym. With boutique fitness, you get the support and encouragement you need along with community and cutting edge fitness that’s done-for-you. It takes the guesswork out of “What will I do today?”. We’d also argue that COMMUNITY is the most important of all. Meeting other people on a similar journey and vibing on your similar interests and goals – now THAT is motivating! It brings us so much joy to see friendships form from inside our four walls at the studio and people embracing their journey together. Shameless plug: if you’re new to fitness and want to try us with minimal financial risk, check out our latest offer here for a trial of classes.
5. CELEBRATE your mini milestones!
Along the way, don’t forget to celebrate the rockstar that you are. Set mini milestone goals and reward yourself with non-food related things when you reach them. Breaking your long term goal into shorter period helps you stay motivated and fired up. Make sure to let your friends and family know, too, so they’ll be there to support and cheer you on. It’s easy to get caught up in the web of our thoughts and lose perspective, especially if we hit a plateau. Just like any relationship, your relationship with yourself needs new and exciting things to keep it interesting … and that’s okay! Knowing this means you can find ways to reinvigorate your journey and keep a fresh lens. Some of our favorite ways to celebrating mini milestones:
- Afternoon home spa pampering yourself or go get a mani/pedi.
- Donate your now-too-big clothes to charity.
- Use stickers to note the date of your milestone achievements on your calendar.
- Plan a healthy day trip with friends such as hiking.
- Get a massage.
- Schedule a professional photoshoot.
- Plan and execute your dream vacation.
- Buy new workout gear.
- Make a new playlist.
- Go shopping … in your own closet!
- Snag a fresh bouquet of flowers at the farmers market.
- Find a new plant to add to your garden.
The possibilities are endless!
Dedicated to your success,
Sham & Christina
Inspired Wellness
About Inspired Wellness
We are a wellness movement aimed at cultivating greatness in all areas of life. We believe that everything is connected and that having the body of your dreams shouldn’t come at the price of your mental and emotional health. You CAN have it all; you just need some determination, grit and the desire to truly change your life!
Catch us locally in sunny Sacramento CA inspiring lives at our wellness center with fitness, nutrition and lifestyle programs, or online doing the same thing with our new online training site + community coming soon!
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8 Comments
I had established a great work routine and got into the gym a minimum of 5 days a week. Then I hit a bit of a tragedy with the death of my mom and brother and just couldn’t get myself to go anymore. So really excited to get back into working out.
I’m going to remind myself that I love myself enough to do this for me, and that I’m not comparing myself to or competing with anyone. I’m celebrating my milestones by getting massages!
Exercise makes me a better mom and partner. It is therapy!
The one thing that initially drew me to Inspired Wellness and has kept me coming back for more (despite the killer workouts) is the AMAZING sense of community – there is no judgment only an incredible, supportive group of individuals who come together and lift each other up.
This isn’t my first challenge but this still resonates. Thanks!
I need to remind myself that I am worth it and everything is hard before it’s easy!
I believe community really is a huge part of our wellness all around! I hope to meet some new friends through this experience.
I think the #1 tip is the one that resonates the most with me! I’ve recently started the Inspired Wellness Get Fit Challenge and while it can be a challenge, I stay motivated by reminding myself why I am doing this. It’s important to me to understand what I’m putting in my body and when I have kids one day I want to make good nutritional decisions for them as well. Thinking of these reasons makes the Wellness journey a lot more simple and fun!