6 Habits And Behaviours Of Fitness Newcomers And How They Could Be Helping Or Hurting You
Okay, so you’ve finally given in and decided to give this fitness malarkey a go. You’ve been tempted by the amazing selection of leggings from Fabletics (only £21 for two pairs, WHAT?!) and you’ve been enticed by the endless ‘fitspo’ posts on Instagram.
Now what?
If the world of fitness wasn’t terrifying enough, throw into the mix everyone being stuck at home and you’ve got 90 bazillion more online workouts to choose from! Yoga, HIIT, Pilates, P.E. with Joe, Barre, Boxercise, Bollywood Workout… the list goes on, and on, and on. And then there’s the equipment. Should you be ordering a mat? Which trainers are the best for running? Why are there so many types of ‘resistance bands’? Who has a dumbbell lying around for crying out loud?!
Let’s stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. And step away from the influencers.
It’s easy to get wrapped up with what everyone else is doing (a subject we’ll come to another day) but try to remember that you’re doing this for YOU. And you only. This doesn’t have to be a complete life change - you’re just picking up a new habit. A really great habit, too! So let’s take it one step at a time… Even if you just do one class this week, it’s one more class than you did last week. AND THAT, MY FRIEND, IS PROGRESS. So here are our top tips for getting active:
START SMALL
If you’re a complete beginner to working out, you’re not going to do yourself any favours setting out on a 15k run. So pick one thing to do that week, a 30 minute yoga class on YouTube, a longer/brisker walk, dancing around your kitchen for 20 minutes with no breaks, maybe even a Wednesday lunchtime workout with FRESH. on Facebook (shameless plug, soz). Don’t overdo it or sign yourself up to anything without trying it first - we’ve all been there, I was paying a gym membership for over a year to a place I only visited twice. Ouch.
FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY
As we’ve mentioned before, the key to sustaining an active lifestyle is enjoyment. Your best mate might love that 6am bootcamp but it doesn’t mean it’s for everyone… Your mum might rave about the benefits of Pilates every time you visit but it doesn’t mean you’ll feel the same (although you probs will)… Running has taken over the world but you won’t find us signing up to a half (or even quarter) marathon anytime soon. It may take you a little while, but I guarantee there is a class or activity out there for you to fall in love with.
BE PATIENT
Every day is different, don’t be discouraged if you go for your second run (after feeling a rush of joy flow through your entire body when you completed your first) and have to call it a day five minutes in because you’re exhausted. There are so many things that can affect how you feel, it’s not that you suck - it’s just it’s not the day for it. Stress, food, sleep, weather, mood… they all contribute. Not to forget, ladies, your hormone changes can take you from an Olympic athlete to a couch potato in a matter of days depending on where you’re at in your cycle. FACT. Okay, maybe not an actual Olympic athlete but you know what I mean.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
It’s very easy to forget where you started & think you’ve not improved at all. Unless you’ve literally been standing still, I highly doubt you’ve not got any better. So take photos, get a fitness app, time yourself, write down your reps/weights, get the measuring tape out and keep a note of these things every week. Note that I didn’t mention the scales…
STOP WEIGHING YOURSELF
Unless you’re hoping to gain muscle mass, get away from those scales and stay away. Please bin the theory of ‘weight-loss’ right now. Muscle weighs more than fat; so as you get fitter there is a high chance you will transform body fat into muscle and therefore there’s actually a chance your weight will INCREASE. Heaven forbid. The idea of weight being the holy grail of health is extremely outdated. When you really think about it - it’s an odd thing to obsess over, why does it matter how heavy or light you are? Unless you’re being smuggled on an Easyjet flight in someone’s luggage, it doesn’t bloody matter.
SET SOME (REALISTIC) GOALS
Okay, so you might roll your eyes at this one but it really does work. Call them targets if you’d prefer… They will help! We need to be honest with ourselves here; whilst you may want to enter the Tour De France one day, it’s going to seem like an unreachable event before you’ve even got your hands on a bike. So break them down into manageable chunks, we’ve created an amazing template for you which you can get your hands on very soon!
So there you have it, no fancy frills or seemingly unachievable changes. Just simple steps to get you started. We would love to hear from you if you are making moves towards a healthier, fitter lifestyle. What have you loved? What have you hated? Tell us all about it!
Big love,
Sara & Alice xx
