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If you want a fitter lifestyle, you have to start somewhere. No book is written without a first page, no song starts without a first beat, and no marathon was run without a first step. Recognizing a starting point, or even a current point, and identifying a goal will help you create a plan that can help you reach your goals.
The first step is the hardest, but you can do it! Reading this blog could be your first step to committing to a healthier and fitter lifestyle, because you are educating yourself, getting some tips, and you will be able to implement small changes to your everyday life that are manageable and reliable.
Instead of following the idea that you need to add or create new habits to be healthy, instead, think of it as modifying your current habits to include healthy aspects, or make them work as triggers to encourage healthy behavior.
Start with a small change. The key to sticking with these changes you make to your life is to make them fit into the life you want and can live. It’s important that both of those—”want” and “can”--are included. Something as simple as drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning can help to kickstart a healthier day!
Use your one small change to start working toward one small goal. Setting achievable, relevant, and rewarding goals helps to keep you motivated. Instead of having a goal that takes one, two, or three years to accomplish, have a goal that takes a month or two. When you have reached that goal, celebrate! Then you are ready to set your next goal—and in one, two, or three years... you have achieved that overall goal before you know it. Small goals are important for tracking change over time and continuing to motivate yourself even during plateaus!
Setting SMART goals helps make sure that your goals are ones that you can reach. SMART goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Making sure you are being consistent eventually calls back to accountability. A fun way to keep yourself accountable is to find a workout buddy or join a workout class. Having a sense of community can make the fitness lifestyle more engaging. Of course, you can be your own accountability partner by setting goals and rewarding yourself for milestones reached!
You don’t need a gym membership to get started on your fitter lifestyle. The world can be your playground! There’re common switches like parking further from the door or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, but what about mini workouts while you watch TV in the evening?
In the digital age, there are so many resources you can get for free to encourage movement and engagement with healthy-living communities. Even your smartphone’s health app probably gives you the ability to create or join groups with similar interests or join in monthly challenges!
Make sure you continue to enjoy your healthy lifestyle. Changing your routine can help keep things fresh and prevent fitness plateaus.
Making sure you have multiple options for fitting fitness into your life is important, too. A well-rounded healthy lifestyle incorporates healthy habits throughout the day and week. Keeping up the variety in your daily routine, and changing up your workouts helps with beating fatigue and plateaus—the dreaded plateaus... Keep trying new workout routines! Dance, run, swim, lift—there are so many options to keep you moving and improving, don’t just settle for one.
The connection between the mind and body is often overlooked when people start their fitness journey. Building a healthy lifestyle starts with the mind. Having the motivation, and the awareness of how your body feels makes it easier to react and give your body what it needs to be at its best.
Self-care and rest days are not optional. Those days can be the days that allow you to reach your goals. When you respond and listen to your body you can recover and grow. Adding yoga or meditation to your fitness routine can really improve the skills you have for understanding and listening to your body.
Be aware of how you feel emotionally and mentally after you exercise. Does working out relieve stress for you? Do you feel energized or tired after? Don’t be afraid to change your routine to fit your body better. If you feel energized after, working out in the morning can give you a boost at the beginning of your day! If working out relieves stress, maybe an evening workout can encourage better sleep.
The journey to a fitter lifestyle begins with small steps. Set achievable goals, stay consistent, and foster a mind-body connection. Embrace accountability and community support, explore diverse workouts, and prioritize rest. Listen to your body and adapt your routine accordingly. Every small change counts—trust in your ability to start and persevere. The path to a healthier you is about embracing the journey, one step at a time.