Have decided to start a new life – on Monday or any other day of the week, and join the wonderful world of sports. Take just 7 simple steps to a beautiful body, good health and good mood, and then the main thing is not to stray from the course.
Decide on your goals
Fitness translates to “being in good shape.” It is our strategic goal. But this wording is too vague and doesn’t allow us to track results. For your workouts to be effective, use a goal-setting system.
- Specific. “Twice a week I work out at the gym for an hour and swim in the pool for 30 minutes” sounds more compelling than “I want to go to the gym 2-3 times a week.”
- Measurable. “Lose 5 pounds by January” or just “I want to lose weight”? Feel the difference.
- Achievable. Set realistic goals. If you have gained over 2 years 30 kilos of extra weight, it is naive to hope that you will get rid of them in 3 months. Such a goal is doomed to failure. Failure can permanently discourage you from fitness classes.
- Relevant. Is it really important for you to lose weight, or are you comfortable in your body, but you feel pressure from loved ones? Are you objectively overweight, or do you just want to “jump” from size M to XS to look like a runway model?
- Limited in time. Not “remove the “spare tire” on your waist,” but “reduce your waist circumference by 5 cm in 4 months.”
Evaluate resources.
By resources, we mean:
- Health. Any chronic conditions require a special approach to exercise choices. For example, cardio exercise is contraindicated for cardiovascular disease. Problems with the spine put restrictions on strength exercises. Ideally, the program for beginners should be made by a professional coach. He will take into account your health indicators and initial physical data and will offer exercises relevant to your goal. If you can not use this service, do not be lazy and go to the therapist or general practitioner to determine the presence of contraindications for certain sports.
- Time. Analyze your work schedule. Choose the hours that are most convenient for you to exercise. Make a list of other things you have to do every day, and think about which ones you can delegate and which ones you can give up. Even with the busiest schedule, there is always a “window” for exercise. If your family has a cooked dumplings or scrambled eggs a couple of times a week so mom can go to the pool, the world won’t fall apart.
- Finances. Sports require an investment, including money. Fortunately, they can be kept to a minimum. Home fitness is the most affordable option. Gym memberships without a pool are inexpensive, especially if you “hunt” for promotions. Many sports centers have a variety of family or couples packages. It’s both more profitable and more effective – you’ll support each other.
Choose a workout
Where to start? Decide what suits you best-exercising at home or in the gym. Two factors will be decisive:
- Logistics. Sometimes it is more difficult to get to the place of training than to work out for 40 minutes, especially after work. Ideally, the fitness club should be at most 10-15 minutes walk from point A. If the nearest gym is far away, it may be more rational to work out at home.
- Your personality peculiarities. Some people find it easier to work out at home, because people around them tire. Some people, on the contrary, work out more effectively in company. Some people lack self-discipline, they need the support of a coach. Others cope perfectly well without outside help.
- Now decide on a sport. It is important to be in good shape, not only physically, but also emotionally. The results will be worse if you force yourself to “pull iron,” although you are much closer to yoga or Pilates. The concept of “fitness” includes many directions. You will definitely be able to find the best fitness training program for you, which will allow you to go to your goal with pleasure.
Choose your outfit
You can work out at home in the simplest sports pants and a T-shirt. The main thing is that you should be comfortable.
If you plan regular trips to the gym, your “fitness kit” should include sportswear:
- Pants, leggings, shorts or breeches.
- T-shirts and tops. Two or three pieces will be enough.
- For girls – sports bras.
- Shoes – sneakers or sneakers. For some sports – for example, yoga, shoes are not needed.
- A sports bag is optional, but desirable.
We do not recommend choosing clothing that is too revealing – ultrashort shorts or tops. It’s not about modesty, but hygiene. The gym is a public place with a fairly high traffic. Reduce the areas of skin in contact with sports equipment.
Comfort is a defining criterion when choosing clothing – both for home workouts and for the gym. But you will surely be more pleasant to work out in a nice sports uniform as well.
Buy equipment
You don’t have to buy any additional equipment to work out in the gym. At home you will need to equip an individual gym. In principle, you can do with a gymnastic mat, a pair of dumbbells and an elastic band. Make home training for beginners more effective help fitball, rope, barbell, weights. Perfect if space and finances allow you to put a treadmill or exercise bike at home.
Adjust your lifestyle
- Eat right. It is impossible to lose weight or build muscles, no matter how hard you train, if after every session at the gym you “reward” yourself with a good portion of french fries and fried chicken or a cake. Vegetables, fruit, fish, dairy products and lean meat are your best friends from now on. Try to eat at the same time, every four hours. This way you have less chance of getting very hungry and overeating.
- Drink more. Drink both during training and during the day. Water envelops joints and serves to prevent injuries. Besides, you will feel its deficit very soon – headaches, fatigue and lethargy will come. It is better to consult about the drinking regime with a coach or a doctor because the norm of water consumption depends on gender, age, lifestyle and other individual factors. Only pure water or green/herbal tea without sugar are considered.
- Coffee, tea with sugar, and especially sodas do not replenish the body’s water supply.
- Say no to bad habits. Alcohol and smoking do not fit into a healthy lifestyle.
- Get enough sleep! Exhausted muscles need a good rest.
Motivation
It’s important that sports really become a part of your lifestyle. If you don’t know how to start exercising and the prospect of going to the gym for the next year or two makes you sad, the 21-day rule can help you. Psychologists say that after 21 days a systematically repeated action becomes a habit. Set yourself a mini-objective – go to the sport 21 times. After that, you will surely notice that you go to fitness with pleasure, without overpowering yourself.
Use all available methods of motivation. Promise yourself a trip to the movies or a nice purchase after a week of regular exercise. Visualize your future image – a slim and trim figure, an even back, a healthy complexion. Talk to people who inspire and support you.
And, of course, nothing motivates you like results. Celebrate each of your successes and rejoice. Each his goal that could be achieved can be compared to a big win at an online casino – you also need to rejoice, but that’s just worth remembering that in the casino it’s a matter of chance, and in yours it’s just a matter of your patience and character.