It can be scary to start a new fitness journey. Who should you trust? What advice should be discarded? Planning for this journey and setting smart goals is an excellent place to start.
Assessing Your Starting Point
Know where you are currently. This helps you set appropriate goals and minimize injury risk. Consider the following:
- What is your current activity level? Are you generally sedentary, moderately active, or already quite active? Be honest here.
- Do you have any injuries, mobility limitations, or medical conditions that could impact your training? These should be taken into account.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses fitness-wise? Identify these to optimize workouts.
- What might help you achieve your goals? Should you invest in prework out supplements or other products to maximize each workout?
Talk with your doctor to learn how to start this journey. You don’t want injuries to set you back just as you begin. The doctor can help you create a plan so this doesn’t happen.
Setting SMART Goals
Outline a fitness routine you would like to incorporate that is realistic.
Having a specific (S) goal with measurable (M) benchmarks keeps you accountable. Make sure the goal is also attainable (A) for your schedule and starting fitness abilities. The routine should be relevant (R) to your health aims, whether that be more energy, strength, or cardiovascular resilience. Establish the goal’s time frame (T) over the next few weeks or months for development.
While tracking progress, periodically note what is working well and any needed adjustments. With consistent commitment, SMART fitness goals enable incremental progress towards better health based on your unique needs, such as increased mobility, strength, mood boosts, and beyond. Review and revise goals periodically to evolve your fitness journey. The SMART principles are universally valuable for actualizing health outcomes.
Starting Slowly and Steadily
It’s very common for fitness newcomers to do too much too soon when excitement is high. This frequently leads to burnout, injury, or disillusionment. Have patience and take it slow:
- Begin with manageable workout durations and intensities based on your current fitness. Increase progressively over time.
- Focus on good form and technique before adding volume, weight, and more.
- Build rest and recovery periods into your training schedule from the start.
- Be consistent. Some activity each week is better than overdoing it and then taking multiple days off.
Safety First
It may not seem the most exciting part of working out, but making sure proper safety precautions are taken lets you exercise confidently and prevent setbacks.
- Learn safe exercise form for every new movement. Quality instructional videos can help here.
- Invest in proper footwear designed for your chosen activities. Replace regularly.
- Don’t neglect warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching, as they get you ready for exercise.
- Listen to warning signs from your body, such as pain or dizziness. Stop if you are concerned.
- Gear up with protective equipment where needed. Invest in helmets for cycling, braces to support joints, or other devices.
Starting a fitness journey is challenging by definition. It takes you out of your comfort zone. However, by setting a solid foundation with realistic goals, smart progress tracking, patience, and a safety-first mindset, you set yourself up for sustainable success as you improve your health journey one step at a time.
