How to Start Your Fitness Journey

Starting with fitness can be scary. There are plenty of unknowns, and most people struggle to get going.

Should you start with running? Or maybe lift weights at the local gym? Would home workouts be effective enough? Not to mention that you might feel anxious because you’re inexperienced.

The good news is that embarking on your fitness journey doesn’t have to be scary or complicated. All you need is to understand a few basic things, and you’re good to go. Let’s see what they are.

1. Commit

One of the most common denominators among people who succeed on their fitness journey is that each takes the challenge seriously. Fitness isn’t an optional part of their day, but something they make time for, regardless of circumstances.

When you commit and start treating fitness as an essential part of your life, you see it differently, and the conversation shifts from “I hope I find the time to exercise this week.” to “I’m going to exercise every day, even if for five minutes.”

2. Start Small

Many beginners make the mistake of overwhelming themselves by trying to do too much. As a result, they end up exhausted and ready to give up within a week or two.

A much better approach is to start small but be consistent. For example, start with five minutes of exercise, but do it daily. While that might not seem like much, you’re doing something special:

You are ingraining the behavior and making fitness a non-negotiable part of your day. Like brushing your teeth or getting dressed in the morning, your daily workout becomes something you just do.

3. Set a Goal

While many preach the importance of long-term goals, we recommend being more modest and asking yourself, “What is the one goal I would love to achieve in the next six months?”

Such goals are great because they aren’t too far down the line, but they are large enough to motivate and keep you engaged. Your goals will depend on your preferred training style and values. For example, a weightlifter might set a goal to bench press 60 kilos, whereas a runner could try to cover a specific distance in 30 minutes.

For the average person looking to get fit, our virtual challenges present the perfect opportunity to set your sight on something specific and develop the necessary abilities to complete it.

4. Experiment

Many people are under the impression that they should do specific training to get fit and healthy. For some, that might be cardio; for others, it could be weight training. But, regardless of what kind of exercise you believe you should do, that is rarely the case.

The great thing about fitness is that it can assume many shapes to fit your schedule, preferences, and strengths. You don’t have to train in a specific way, especially if you don’t enjoy that. By all means, experiment. Try different activities and intensities to find what you enjoy best.

Having fun with fitness is an overlooked factor that plays a massive role in your long-term motivation, consistency, and effort.