Having a lifestyle fitness attitude makes all the difference to your overall health and well-being. To be able to embrace practical ideas into your life so it becomes second nature is the best way for you to succeed.
But it’s not always that easy, is it?
It’s far too common to start a gym membership or exercise plan with excitement, only to give up on it. But, if you’ve done some of the groundwork first, you’re already ahead of the majority.
Which is great news! You can do this.
Using some of these tips will help you start to integrate into this new lifestyle. Because research has suggested that it can take 90 days for a new habit to form, so any way you can support your decision helps.
Change can be difficult and there are lots of things ready to distract and demotivate us. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
Trying to improve your fitness is a fantastic goal to have, so make sure you put yourself in the best position to do well.
Don’t give up making the effort, take note of these simple tips to complete your first month at the gym and continue training more motivated than ever.
What Is Lifestyle Fitness And Why Is It Important?
When you hear about lifestyle fitness, what do you think it means?
Let’s see if we can give you a good answer!
It is the combination of a lifestyle that supports your overall health and activity that activates your muscles, internal systems and physical condition.
Essentially, if you embrace exercise as part of your overall lifestyle, you’re going to prevent health issues and reduce stress. Also, you’ll be gaining muscle, boosting your energy and helping maintain your weight.
It achieves a lot, doesn’t it? So, let’s support that decision with some easy ideas.
What Do You Need To Add Fitness To Your Lifestyle?
The first month at the gym is the perfect time to introduce yourself to the world of fitness and learn about all the options that it can offer you.
It is important to remember that results will not come instantly after a couple of sessions, because it takes a dedicated and consistent effort to see improvements.
The average person may see the outcome of their efforts after 3 to 6 months, but this varies for each person depending on how they take action.
A month is the minimum time to be able to figure out what works for you so you exercise regularly.
Consider going to your first sessions as a short-term goal. Talk to the gym staff or introduce yourself to some other members. Getting involved can help with habit formation.
Or, if you’re trying new classes or weight training, give it the time to prove its suitability for you. Don’t be in a hurry to drop new things because they make you uncomfortable.
Make sure you are always thinking about the goal you have set for yourself: lose weight, increase the strength of your muscles, and build up your fitness, and physical endurance.
Our Top 6 Ideas for Lifestyle Fitness
1. Make It Easy
Getting started is half the challenge, so don’t add any more unnecessary difficulties during this time.
Choose a gym that suits you because of its proximity to your home or work, flexible schedules, friends who also go there or group classes that interest you.
If going to the gym is already a ‘nuisance’ early on, most likely you will end up finding any excuse to miss training.
Many people make the process more complicated when trying to build gym fitness.
If you are just starting or returning after a long break, it may be beneficial to utilise a PT gym program. The personal trainer cost may seem like a lot initially, but these are experienced professionals who can assess your current level and build you a purpose-specific program.
2. Realistic Objective
If you want to get through your first month at the gym, it’s better to set realistic goals to avoid feeling discouraged early on. It is good to have ambitious ideas, but do not forget that the first results of your training and effort won’t just appear in two weeks.
Enjoy the small improvements and the step-by-step progress that you can achieve in each training session without expecting ‘miracles’ that would cause you to lose your motivation.
So, celebrate every win.
It may seem like nothing is happening, but each session that you have will be helping you build towards your goal bit by bit.
Make sure you keep track of your progress from the first week because you can see your improvements in things like weights after a few weeks.
3. Adapting Routine
The advice of a personal trainer or coach is essential to establish a good training plan that adapts to your characteristics and personal needs.
They are generally fantastic for building a beginner gym workout program that will help to ease you into the gym while building a strong foundation for future exercises.
The added benefit of this is that they are great at knowing the best muscle groups to work out together if you can only do limited sessions in a week.
Determining the number of weekly sessions and the type of exercise that is best for you will help you adapt to the gym and overcome that dreaded first month.
You do not need to smash out 4 sessions or more per week when you first start. The best thing you can do is to start slowly but consistently, even if this is only 2 times a week.
It is important to keep consistent each week to achieve your goals.
4. Varied Training
Another key is for you to have a good time going to the gym, and for those first weeks to fly by without losing morale.
The first routines should be based on multi-joint exercises, which work for the large muscle groups together. This will help you work a wider range of muscles to create a solid base for your gym fitness before you start focusing on specific muscle groups.
It is also advisable to combine days of aerobic training with others of strength.
Try the gym machines, discover all their possibilities, and learn about different types of training: full body, cross fit, training with ropes, ball or TRX, etc.
You could have sessions for legs, arms, chest and back before having a separate session during the week for cardio fitness on the bikes and treadmills.
5. Check Possible Physical Discomfort
It is basic advice that you must be aware of any pain or soreness to overcome that may arise during your first routines.
If you think that your soreness is excessive or you notice any significant muscle or joint discomfort, consult your coach immediately, because the routine you are doing may not be the right one for you.
You may even reduce your sessions early on as you will be sore when you complete your first sessions.
Do not feel obligated to do every session early when you are feeling sore, as if you ignore your body it can result in potential injury.
6. Lifestyle Fitness Includes Healthy diet
Combining your first workouts with a series of healthy habits will help you not give up on your efforts.
A balanced diet, which provides you with the energy and nutrients you need for exercise, will also have an influence when it comes to completing your first training sessions.
A lot of people do not consider this diet when they start, and they wonder why their progress is slowing down or even declining. Would you expect a car to drive if you do not give it fuel?
Your body works in the same way, so you need to ensure it is fuelled with the best options available to improve both your results and recovery after sessions. This way you ensure you will see the best improvements towards building your gym fitness.
The Secret Ingredient For A Successful Lifestyle Fitness Strategy
At the end of the day, when you are developing a holistic approach to your healthy lifestyle you need to keep in mind one major thing.
Consistency.
So, whatever you choose to do for your fitness and your health, keep moving ahead with it. One day at a time, one step at a time.
Consistency is where you will see results and your lifestyle fitness strategy will have a great beneficial impact on your whole life.
