If you are at the start of your fitness journey, still trying to figure out which way to go. Congratulations! You have made the first step, which is generally the hardest to make. Not only is getting fit good for your health, but it has also proved to enhance and prolong your life too!

With the sheer amount of information out there, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and not know what advice to take. Do you go to the gym? Buy equipment and workout out at home? Should you get a personal trainer? These are just some of the questions you will be asking yourself.

Unfortunately, a lot of people that have chosen the fitness path give up before they have even begun due to the confusion of the myriad of different options available. With any luck, this won’t happen to you after you read this article.

With any luck, this will be your guide to help you make the right decisions.

Identify Your Why

Before you embark on anything, you first need to know what is driving you to do. That “Why” needs to be a strong motivating factor on starting, pushing through the tough times, and maintaining a routine that will allow you to be consistent.

Are you looking to get fit:

Once you figured out your reason, you can then start to structure which fitness plan will work for you.

Here’s an extract from - What Fitness Program Is Right For Me?

What Are Your Goals?

This is a really important question to ask yourself and will determine which road you choose to go down really.

Is the goal to feel great and look good naked, get healthy, or be happy? The answer may be all three.

Whatever the reason is, you need to be crystal clear in your “why.” It’s only when you come to terms with this question can you move onto the next step. 

To be honest, having a collection of reasons is ideal. If the goal is to simply lose weight, then this isn’t a strong enough reason and not specific enough. 

The more specific, the better. The deeper you go with your emotions, the easier it will be for you to push through when you feel you are struggling. It also means you are dedicated to putting both the time and effort to make it work.

Part 1 - Identify and focus on that goal

Part 2 - Write down what you feel you would accomplish

Part 3 - Be realistic - How often can you train?

Finding A Workout Routine You Will Enjoy

If your main goal is to feel good about yourself and look good at the same time, then there is a straightforward solution for you.

Choose any of the exercises you enjoy the most.

If nutrition is 90% of losing weight, then exercise is the other 10%. So if your main goal is to look good, then any exercise is a bonus.

Here are some perfect base level exercises:

Yoga, Swift Walking, Running, Cycling, Hiking, CrossFit, Jazzercise, Zumba, etc.

So if hitting the gym hard is not your preference, then any of the above can work depending on your initial goals. 

Please don’t suffer by doing exercises you completely hate. There are a ton of activities you can do if you want to get your heart rate up.

Once you know your why and you work out the type of exercises that are right for you, now is the time to plan and structure your workouts.

Here’s an extract from - What Is A Good Food & Fitness Plan For Someone Who Is Extremely Busy?

Plan Ahead

This is probably the most important tip of all. The title says “busy,” so I’m going take the generalist view that you are busy in a full-time job for the sake of argument if you do work full time and don’t have a lot of time. The best thing you can do is get organised. 

If you do nothing else, make sure you plan ahead. This will be the one thing that will help you with your overall fitness plan.

When’s the best day to do this? I would say Sunday. To some, it is the end of the week and to others, the start of the week. Either way, it’s a great day to plan the next week ahead.

You can either use a notebook or an online calendar. Write down all of the items in your fitness plan for the next seven days. This should include the hours you are at work, the time you need to wake up, get up, and the time you get home.

With this noted, you can then work out when you can fit in exercise. By doing this, you should also be able to calculate when and what type of meals you will need to prepare and what meals you will have each day.

Can you see how effective this is?

Granted, this might be a little hard to get into. But, I guarantee you if you do this for long enough, you should see your life transform. The more you plan, the more time you have to fulfill your exercise program and the more free time you’ll have.

Set Realistic Goals

“Yeah, right easier said than done,” I hear you say. However, while you are planning ahead, the setting of goals should be the next task on your list. 

As long as you are completely honest with yourself and give yourself enough time to travel and for eating meals, you should be good to go. 

Also, don’t forget to include rest times into your plan. This is a big thing to leave out as you often forget that you need a certain amount of downtime.

Don’t forget; the more realistic you are with your fitness goals, the easier it will be to stick to them. You will also feel a lot more motivated to go on as you keep smashing those goals. In time you will start to build momentum.

Prioritise Consistency Over Intensity

People start to lose faith and motivation when they find exercises too hard to do and too strenuous. That’s why doing short moderate strength exercises consistently is key. It is also more sustainable than several HIIT classes that are pretty extreme for beginners. 

Even though they are great for those that don’t have a lot of time or are trying to lose weight in the shortest time possible, I wouldn’t advise beginners to do these sort of exercises or classes just yet.

Find Other Active People To Support You

We have talked a lot about motivation in this article and one of the easiest ways to stay motivated in exercising with friends, family, or co-workers. 

Not necessarily an accountability buddy, but studies have found that there is strength in numbers. Also, someone that is there for you when you don’t feel like exercising today. Not only is this good in the gym, but also good if you train outside the gym, for example, running at the park or cycling. 

The more you train and exercise, the more comfortable you will find it after a period of time.

Invest In The Right Gear

Clothing & Footwear

You don’t need to go to town when buying exercise clothing and footwear. However, buying the CORRECT clothing and footwear is essential. For example, if you are not wearing the correct footwear for running, this can negatively impact your joints and ligaments and may mean you are more prone to an injury. 

Consider Cotton

No matter how many fancy materials the retailers promote, there is no better material than cotton, mainly because cotton can better absorb your sweat and much easier to clean regularly without losing too much shape.

Avoid Fabrics That Don’t Breathe

It has become all the rage (especially in bodybuilding circles) to wear rubber-based clothing because it makes your body look good and encourages your body to sweat more due to the lack of evaporation. However, if you are starting out, I would recommend staying away from this type of fabric. 

Not only can it raise your body temperature too much, but you may also find that you are constantly dehydrated.

Get The Right Fit

Where possible, try to wear clothing that is loose-fitting and not too tight. When you find yourself working out regularly, you need to be comfortable. If you are taking part in yoga or pilates, loose, stretchy fabrics are key with enough ventilation to allow your body to breathe and release excess heat.

Should You Get A Personal Trainer?

A trainer will:

• Bring you new ideas and structure those ideas specifically for you and your goals.
• Will encourage you to try new exercises and equipment you may never have thought of.
• Change the time of day you train to get the best out of you.

The downside:

• Could be expensive and too much for your budget
• Some may body shame to encourage results.
• May suggest a change of diet that might not be aligned with your values or lifestyle.

Summary

So there you have it. Hopefully, you have found this article useful? Don’t forget, before you start doing any form of exercise, find out what your “why” is. If you skip this step, you may find exercising consistently pretty difficult. Write down your goals and devise a routine that works for you.

It doesn’t need to be a lonely journey. Try and find friends, family, or work colleagues to train with. This will make it so much easier to be and stay motivated. Wear the right clothing and footwear, and that way, you feel more comfortable and less likely to get injured.