So you’ve decided to get in shape? That’s great! Why don’t you start your fitness journey by getting to know the basics?
Beginning to workout daily can be overwhelming especially for a newbie. As rookies you must always begin on the right track.
Most of them start off on the wrong foot and struggle to achieve their goals. Don’t hustle when most of the challenges you face in the beginning can be avoided. When you get to know the basics, you won’t be lost and make good progress in the future.
7 Steps To Shape Up
So regardless of your fitness goals, these are some of the tips that can help you get fit.
1. Set Short Term Goals
Setting short goals will prepare your mind for how far you want to reach. If the goals you set aren’t realistic, then you’re more likely to fail.
Have many short-term goals in your program so that it can be achievable. Once you succeed in accomplishing them, you will have the confidence to reach your long-term goals.
In the beginning, you’ll find it hard. At such times make a few adjustments to the exercise.
2. Come Up With A Good Diet Plan
Whether it is to lose weight or tone your body you must know what to eat. Making drastic changes to the diet is one of the biggest mistakes that people do.
Your body will be accustomed to a particular eating habit. When you make sudden changes, it will affect the functions of your body. Either you’ll end up with inadequate nutrition or worse increase your cravings.
Both are bad for your health. Get help from a qualified diet counselor to have a balanced diet.
3. Track Your Progress
Keep a record of your progress from the beginning of your journey. Also, have small notes so that you can refer it in case you need to make changes or if any problem arises.
It will also help you to know how far the changes you’ve made to your workout plans were effective. If the exercise plan did not work out as expected, records would help you to make effective changes to your plan.
4. Intensity Matters
The intensity of your workout matters more than the duration. The level of intensity is either high or low. A high-intensity workout will increase your heart rate up to 75%, develop your metabolism rate, and burn more calories. But, high-intensity workouts are not for beginners and people with health problems.
Calories burnt in low-intensity exercises are less when compared to higher ones. But it’s advised for beginners because of their lower fitness levels. Also, it will help to train your body to perform high-intensity workouts.
5. Strengthen Your Core
Exercising should not always be about weight loss. It must also make you stronger. Most of them avoid core exercises because they think it’s only for toning muscles.
But, some of the most mundane activities like sitting on a chair, standing up, and turning around rely on your core. These exercises will make your spine strong and will help you breathe deeply. So include at least 3 core routines in your daily workout schedule.
6. Improvise To Get Better
Just because a workout is giving you good results now, doesn’t mean that it’ll help you in the long run. A new workout will be challenging at the beginning. As you keep doing it, your body will get used to it. All exercises will eventually seem easier to do.
If the exercises are not challenging enough, your fitness levels will not improve. So beginners must change their routine every 6 weeks, so that they get enough time to master the routines.
7. Rest Is Important To Recharge
To lose weight, you must exercise for a minimum of 250 minutes per week. That is you have to be active for 4 days (1 hour) in a week to maintain your weight and 6 days (1 hour) to lose weight.
You must rest for at least 1 day every week to help your body recover. Within that time, your workout must include cardio and strength training. This is a rough estimate, to get detailed insights get help from a fitness expert.
No Pain, No Gain
Apart from all this, it’s normal to feel soreness and pain after a workout. Don’t have a painkiller immediately to feel better as it will make things worse. Let your body recover naturally.
Attention is needed only if the pain continues for an extended period. So don’t take shortcuts to reach your fitness goals. The only way to accomplish it is through hard work, willpower, and discipline.
