How to get fit if you are a beginner can be an intimidating and challenging undertaking. If you are new to fitness, do not fear. Everyone, even the most experienced fitness professionals at one point, were beginners. You have to start somewhere.
It is a brave thing to decide to make a change to your health and fitness, so firstly, congratulations!
When you take that first step into more activity, you are only a few weeks away from seeing all the benefits that come from consistently working on your fitness.
Benefits such as:
- Improved energy
- Better quality sleep
- Faster metabolism
- Decreased stress levels
But where to start?
In today’s quick fix society, it can be really hard for a beginner to get fit because there is simply too much information available. It is confusing.
Do I do HIIT training? Circuit Training? Metabolic Training?
What even are they?
How do I know what program is right for me?
With a wealth of information available, finding a place to start can often be the hardest thing. Today, we have tried to make the process a little bit simpler for you.
Read below for our top tips on how to get fit if you are a beginner.
Find your ‘Why’
The first step to success revolves around finding the reason behind why you want to make this change to your fitness. Do this properly and you will have long-lasting levels of motivation to tap in to throughout your journey.
Questions that we always ask our members before they start their journeys with us include:
- What is the number 1 reason that you are looking to make a change to your fitness?
- Why is this important to you?
- How long have you been thinking about making a change?
- In what ways do you want your life to improve?
- What will achieving this goal enable you to do?
If you are honest with yourself whilst answering the above questions, then you are much more likely to see success with your goals.
Why?
Because it will help you maintain high motivation levels when the challenging times arrive.
Our best success stories, are those who were able to be really honest with themselves from the beginning.
Start Slow
This is crucial if you want long-term success. If you are looking to get fit and you are a beginner, then you should NEVER over commit with your training plan. It is a recipe for disaster, plain and simple.
Why?
You open yourself up to a myriad of issues including:
- Increased risk of injury.
- Burning out.
- Not having enough time to rest and recover.
- Not giving your body a chance to adapt.
If any of the above occur, then it can be really hard to maintain a good routine around fitness.
Our recommendation?
Start with 3 x 30 minute workouts a week at about a 50% intensity.
Do this until you have good rhythm going and then look to add to it. If you create a strong foundation then your chance of ongoing success is much higher.
Get Support
If you are a beginner looking to get fit, then it is important that you get the right network around you. It does not have to be a solo journey and is much easier to see success if you open yourself up to a little bit of help.
It is important to understand that it is motivation that gets you started, but making fitness a lifestyle is the single best chance you have to get the long-term result you are after.
A great way of ensuring that your efforts become a lifestyle is if you get the right people around you.
Find a gym buddy, join a sports team, get a personal trainer or do group exercise classes.
Not only will it make the process more enjoyable, but it will provide a support layer for when the motivation levels drop.
They will be there to lift you up when you are down, help you with the motivation levels drop, give you advice when you need it and help you when you need extra support.
It is a great thing to have the right people around you.
Do something you enjoy
Too often we see a beginner trying to get fit fail to do so because they are doing things they do not enjoy. How can you be expected to maintain a high level of enthusiasm around doing something you do not enjoy?
If you do not like running, then don’t try and get fit through running!
If you do not like swimming, then don’t try and get fit through swimming!
Find something that excites you, challenges you and gives you the best opportunity for long term success.
It is also important to understand that you might not love exercise (it is not uncommon), but you do not have to hate it!
If you get into a rhythm with something that you can learn to enjoy, then there is a much higher chance of success.
Spend a bit of time really thinking about things you enjoy, or enjoyed when you were younger.
Improving fitness levels doesn’t have to involve lots of time in the gym. It could mean taking up a sport, joining a swim club or getting back into something you once loved but have forgotten about.
Understand there will be setbacks, and it is ok
Life is not easy. It is a series of challenges that we must overcome in order to move forward. That is never more evident than if you are trying to get fit as a beginner.
If you understand from the beginning that it will not be sunshine and rainbows all the time, then you will be well equipped to deal with challenges as they arise.
This is why the above points are so important.
They reduce the risk of setbacks occurring.
But they do not eliminate them.
If you really commit to fitness becoming a way of life, then you need to be able to adjust and adapt as challenges arise.
You may need to modify your approach, your training style and your intensity, but if you do not give up on your goals, you will always move forward.
In Conclusion…
If you are looking to get fit as a beginner, congratulations!
It is a big first step and one that has to be made if you are serious about making a change. If you want to give yourself a fantastic chance at ensuring the improved fitness levels last, then it is important to know what is involved and the journey ahead.
Do not over-complicate things, start slow and get the right people around you.
You will be amazed at the results you will see in a relatively short amount of time.
Good luck and enjoy your journey.
Want To Learn More?
Since COVID-19 entered our lives, we have aimed to deliver some great weekly information as to how you can remain healthy, productive and in good spirits. This blog post is the latest addition to a growing library of information. Click to read more on our dedicated COVID support blogs.
Over the last 5 years Authentic Personal Training has established itself as a leading health and fitness studio on the Lower North Shore. We are incredibly proud to announce that we have been voted The Best Fitness Business on The North Shore for 2019.
Join us on our Facebook page:
To book a complimentary Personal Training Session with one of Sydney’s most experienced Personal Trainers, simply fill out the form below
