You’ve finally committed to getting back in shape. Whether you’re committing to a New Year resolution or you just want to get in shape before the summer comes around, you’re ready to start, and you want to get started right now.
It can be tempting to throw on some shorts, grab a water bottle, and hit the track. But before you hit anything, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for it first. Exercising will stress your body, particularly in those first couple of weeks as you adjust to a new workout routine. If you rush into it, you can end up injuring yourself or giving up in frustration.
Before you get started, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have the right tools and routines to make your workouts count.
What You Wear Matters
Workout isn’t a fashion show. While you might find yourself trying to impress someone on the trail or at the gym, what your clothing looks like shouldn’t be your primary concern while purchasing it but how it feels should.
Wear the appropriate footwear. If you’re walking or running, it’s important to give your feet the additional support they need. If you don’t want to invest a lot of money in specialty footwear, you can upgrade your favorite sneakers with arch supporting inserts to make them better for your feet.
When it comes to clothing, you want to find something that will keep you cool and dry. Moisture wicking shirts and athletic pants are relatively inexpensive and available at your favorite stores. Pick up something brightly colored if you plan on running outdoors as this can help drivers see you easier.
Start Eating Right
Nutrition is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. You can’t get in shape just by dieting, but you won’t get healthy through working out alone. The food you eat has to provide what your bodies need to build new muscle and burn fat.
That being said, most of us lack the discipline or the desire to charge head-on into a strict diet. One quick way to improve your diet is to drop a few key unhealthy foods from your diet. For example: soda, cookies, candy, etc. These high-sugar foods might taste great, but they have little nutritional value. To sate your sweet tooth, switch to fresh fruit instead.
Once you’ve done that, it’s a good idea to keep track just how much you consume in a day. There are dozens of free meal tracking apps that will help you identify those high calorie foods and start to get your portions in order. It’s important that you still eat, however. You need calories for energy and if you consume too little, your body will actually stop losing weight because it’s trying to conserve everything it receives.
Dieting is one of the hardest things to maintain about a new workout routine, but it’s also one of the most important. Once you get into a routine, you’ll find it easier to maintain, but this can take you a few weeks. The important thing is that you start, however, and there’s no time like the present.
Set Realistic Goals And Stick To Them
Set realistic goals that fit your lifestyle. Don’t look up a pro-athlete’s workout and attempt to stick it in the first week when you haven’t ran two miles in months. Start small and build up to it. Unrealistic expectations can lead to frustration, so when you’re just getting started, set goals you know you can hit.
One important goal is to set aside a time each day to workout. It’s easy to get wrapped up in other important events, so you want to set a specific time where you can focus on your body. For some people, this is in the morning when they start their day, while for other’s they do it before unwinding at night. Find what fits best into your life and stick to it.
Set a goal for the day, for the month, and, if you need to, for the year. Try to focus on the daily upkeep. When you don’t reach one of your goals, don’t focus on it. Mistakes will happen; the important thing is that you keep moving forward.
Be Sure To Stretch
So you picked out your clothing, set up a workout plan, and started eating right. Now all you have to do is start exercising, right? Not quite yet.
Stretching is a workout on it’s own and essential to the development of fitness. Before working out, you need to prepare your muscles and joints to handle the added pressure and exertion.
Consider your muscles when you sleep: four to ten hours of no movement besides the occasional rollover. Muscles tighten, elasticity recedes. You have to warm up your muscles in order to maximize your range of motion and strength.
Doing stretches will take a little time before each workout, but it will help you make the most of every run, jump, or lifted weight. Start slowly and generally intensify the warmup until the next step is something that’s part of your routine.
Stretching increases the action potential of your muscles leading to increased elasticity, which allows for better movement and strength, not to mention, it reduces the risk of injury. You can’t get the results you want if you’re recovering from a pulled limb or sprained ankle.
Make A Workout Routine
Finding the right workout routine can take some time, but it’s important to have a routine. If you go to the gym without any set plans, it will be tempting to simply jog a few miles on the treadmill and head home. If your gym offers it, consider meeting with a trainer and going over what you want your results to be. They’ll tell you what machines to hit and for how long.
If you’re working out at home, having a routine is even more important. Not only will it help you push your body, but a routine will make it more likely that you’ll complete your workout each day. Pushup, sit ups and free weights are great ways to start your workout, but it’s important that you add a little variety so that you can hit as many muscles as possible.
One effective tool is a set of resistance bands. These will allow you to work several muscle groups without devoting large portions of your home to a personal gym. Wearing ankle or wrist weights will also help break up the monotony of your routine, making it more likely that you’ll complete it each day.
The Destination Is Worth The Journey
It isn’t easy, but working out is incredibly rewarding. Beyond the benefits of looking great by summer, you’ll find yourself sleeping better, having more energy, and just feeling healthier all around.
The human body is remarkable thing that will form itself to your wishes. With a little planning and the right tools, you can sculpt yourself into a form you didn’t think possible, and feel better for it. Now, you’re ready to hit the pavement. Good luck!