Best Ways to Start and Maintain a Fitness Routine

If you want to make exercise and moving your body a regular part of your day, there are many options out there. Still, you might be unsure about the best ways to start and maintain a fitness routine. As you begin your fitness journey, remember that everyone had to start somewhere. That yogi you follow on Instagram couldn’t pull off a headstand on their first try. That runner that goes 5 miles every day also considered jogging nonstop for 5 minutes a victory for them at one point. 

Best Ways to Start a Fitness Routine

Starting is often the hardest part of establishing a fitness routine. When you’re in the beginning stages of creating a workout plan, keep in mind some of these strategies. Let’s get into it!

Identify Your “Why”

Your exercise routine should always be about you. Your individual goals, your preferences, and your interests. So think about why it is that you want to start exercising regularly. Maybe you want to be able to keep up with your kids running around. Maybe you just want to feel stronger in your own body. Or maybe you hope to run a 5K in the future. It’s important to take the time to identify one or a few meaningful reasons why you want to do this. Then, any time you are struggling to stay motivated, you can remind yourself of these reasons.

Invest in Some Gear

If you’re someone who has never worked out before, you probably need to invest in some quality athletic shoes or gym clothes. Besides these essentials, the other type of gear you will need will depend on the type of routine you want to try. If you plan on doing some basic strength training at home, you may want to invest in a few pairs of dumbbells. If you want to start boxing, maybe you want to invest in a punching bag. But if you think you will be going to the gym, all you need is some quality shoes and clothes and you are good to go! Getting the right gear can go a long way to getting into it.

Focus on Movement

Doing a hardcore workout every day is not sustainable, especially at the beginning of your journey. Instead of focusing on how many calories you’re burning or how much weight you’re lifting, shift your focus to movement instead. A low-intensity workout like relaxed yoga or an outdoor walk is an excellent way to get your body moving every day. If you’re able to make movement a part of your daily routine, it will help you build momentum and reinforce your habit of working out.

Best Ways to Maintain a Fitness Routine

Once you’ve gotten started, staying consistent and maintaining your fitness routine is extremely important. So how do you do that?

Be Patient & Play the Long Game

If you’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or get fit, you know how easy it is to give up quickly. Often, this is because you want to see results immediately. Unfortunately, putting in the work for a week isn’t enough time to lose weight or master the form of a push-up. Keep your goals SMART! Depending on your current fitness level, it may take weeks or months of hard, consistent work to see the results you want. This disconnect between your expectations and reality can be very demotivating.

Make sure that you acknowledge that lasting changes don’t come overnight. If you stay patient throughout the process, you will see results in the long run. Good things take time, especially when it comes to working out.

Lose the All-Or-Nothing Mindset

This is a very common approach to exercise today. People believe they have to work out exactly how they imagine and if any part of that falls short, they have failed. Forget the idea that you have to do a full 60 minutes of high-intensity training every single day to make it worthwhile. It’s inevitable that life will get in the way sometimes and that is okay. It’s good to have a little bit of structure to your workout plan, but it’s helpful to leave room for some changes. 

When it comes to your everyday routine, think about doing as much as you can. Ten minutes of exercise is better than five, and five minutes is better than none. It’s not a failure if you don’t hit every single target every single day. And remember to listen to your body!

Break Your Workout Into Smaller Chunks

Whatever length of time you’ve decided you should work out every day, sometimes it can feel like way too much. If you’ve decided on 60 minutes every day, try breaking it into smaller chunks. Think about getting through the first 5-minute set, then the next one, and then the next one. Pretty soon, you’ll be halfway through your workout and then you’ll be done.

Embrace The Small Wins

You identified the reasons why you wanted to start your fitness routine early on. If we use the example of wanting to run a 5K, you should make it a point to celebrate the small wins along the way to reaching that goal. Maybe you started not being able to run 30 seconds. You should celebrate the first time you’re able to do that. Next, you can celebrate when you’re able to run for a full minute without stopping. Even if your overall goal still feels like it’s really far off, you can take pride in the progress that you are making.

Get Into It

Working out does not have to be boring! Mix up your routine with a variety of workouts. By keeping your exercise routine filled with diverse activities, you will find that both your mind and body will benefit. Remember how easy it was to stay moving as a kid? Put that element of play back into your life! Whether you want to invest in a jump rope or try out a dance class, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself moving while having fun.

Consider a Personal Trainer

Not everyone has a full understanding of what they need to do to meet their goals. And it can be disheartening to pour your energy into a workout without knowing if it will move the needle in the right direction. A personal trainer can help motivate you while keeping you on the correct track. After all, there is a perfect trainer out there for everyone. We have trainers all over the country that can help you with your fitness goals. Our clients live across the country from Phoenix to Austin to Chicago and everywhere in between

Finally, Don’t Compare Yourself

If you’ve read this article, you’ve taken the first step to starting a fitness routine. On top of all of these strategies we talked about above, one of the biggest things we want you to take away is that you should not compare yourself or your journey to anyone else. It’s easy to follow influencers on Instagram or see super-fit people in the gym and feel bad because you’re not at the same level as them. You’re already ahead of much of the population because you’ve at least started. Who knows? In a few months, someone else may be looking at you thinking they wish they could get there one day!

It is also important to remember that you do not have to do this on your own. Here at Right Fit Personal Training, it is our goal to help you reach yours! We get to know you before you even start your fitness journey with us. That way, you know your trainer and your routines are always best suited for you. So let’s do this together!