My fitness journey hasn’t always been a smooth one. I struggled with my weight, my eating habits, motivation… the works! Now that I’ve arrived in a place where I’m on track and happy with my body, I can reflect upon the fitness lessons that I learnt on the way.
If you’re just starting on your own fitness journey, or you’re feeling a bit stuck, hopefully this list will help you push forward and ultimately reach those goals.
1. It takes time
As the old saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Often people start a fitness programme and after a few weeks they get frustrated and demotivated. Why? Because they aren’t seeing major, immediate differences. The truth is, it takes a lot of time and commitment to get the body you want. Change happens gradually. You won’t wake up and have bulging biceps, but when you look at before and after pictures, in time, you will start to see improvements. Work hard, be patient and the results will follow.
2. Rest is essential
You may think that training every day with no rest will help you progress quicker. However, the opposite is true. When you have rest days, you’re giving your muscles a chance to rebuild and grow, and that’s how you improve your strength. If you never rest, you increase your change of injury and risk overtraining which can result in mental and physical burnout. Get some sleep, hydrate yourself, do some stretching or go for a light walk – you’ll reap the benefits.
3. Diet is crucial
A great training programme is necessary for success, but without a healthy diet, you’ll struggle to get the results you want. I personally relate to the nutrition struggle and I know how confusing it can seem, but it’s really important to understand what you need to eat to help you progress your training. Depending on whether you’re aiming to lose weight or gain muscle, your diet will vary. Either way, there’s plenty of advice you can find online or you can ask your personal trainer for guidance.
4. It’s OK to treat yourself
This is one of the biggest fitness lessons I’ve learnt. The amount of times that I’ve felt bad for treating myself is crazy! Yes, you want to stay healthy and remain on track, but a bit of what you like now and again isn’t going to set you back. At the end of the day, life is supposed to be enjoyed, so if you’re out with your friends and you fancy a takeaway, that’s ok! Don’t feel guilty for treat days because then you can start to develop an unhealthy attitude towards food.
5. Healthy body = healthy mind
The effect that exercise has on my own mental health is amazing. Whenever I’m stressed, upset or anxious, exercise gives me peace of mind and helps me switch off for a while. When you start to feel fitter, healthier and happier in your body, your overall mentality improves. You feel more confident, more energized and just generally more positive. The mind and the body are linked in such a strong way and for one to thrive, the other also has to be healthy.
6. Motivation isn’t permanent
Even as a personal trainer, I’m not motivated to workout 100% of the time. Nobody is! Some days you might be raring to go, and others you may feel unable to drag yourself to the gym. Motivation can come and go, so you can’t wait around for it. Sometimes you just need to accept your lack of motivation but just push ahead and say: “I’m going to do it anyway”. I promise you’ll feel more motivated when you’re actually working out than when you’re sitting on your bed staring at your pile of gym clothes!
7. You’re not alone
Although this is your fitness journey, you’re not alone. You have PTs, YouTube, social communities, friends, family etc. All these people and platforms are here to support you and help you reach your targets. It can feel daunting, especially when you’re just starting out on your fitness journey and don’t know where to begin. However, don’t be afraid to ask for help and use the resources available to you. After all, we all have to start somewhere!
8. Comparison is pointless
We are all different people, with different bodies, on individual fitness journeys. There is no comparison. You may look at someone in the gym and think: “I must be behind the curve because they’re a similar build to me and squatting 50kg and I can only squat 25kg”. The fact is, you don’t know how far along they are on their journey and at some point, they would have been squatting 25kg too. Your only competition is the person looking back at you in the mirror; don’t compare yourself to others because no good will come of it.
9. The scales aren’t everything
I went through a phase where I would weigh myself every single day! Aside from not being mentally beneficial, it’s also wildly inaccurate. You weight fluctuates daily for various reasons, so if you’re 3lbs heavier than you were yesterday, it doesn’t mean you’ve gained 3lbs of fat. What matters more than the number on the scales is your body composition. I’m heavier now than I was a few years ago, but my body fat percentage is lower and I’ve gained muscle, so actually I’m healthier now that I was when I was lighter.
10. It should be fun
Enjoying exercise is one of the most important fitness lessons on this list. Exercise used to intimidate me, but it isn’t a punishment; it shouldn’t be something you should hate or dread. Maybe you’re not a gym fan, and that’s ok! There are plenty of other sports and activities that you might enjoy more. Whether you’re running, swimming, playing football or doing yoga, all that matters is you enjoy yourself and experience the mental and physical benefits exercise provides.
I’ve definitely had to learn some of these fitness lessons the hard way! I hope that reading about them has been useful and that you’ll keep them in mind going forward.
If you have any questions, or would like any further advice about training or nutrition, please feel free to contact me.