This is a guest post by Sarah Harris.
The fact that you are reading this article implies that you already have the motivation to get fit - or fitter – but the way in which you approach developing and maintaining your fitness routine is the key to kindling this initial spark of enthusiasm into a roaring success. Planning is all important, and in order to prepare yourself for what may be a significant lifestyle change, you need to consider “What, Why, When, Where and How”.
What are you trying to achieve? Define to yourself what aspect of being fitter appeals to you. It may be weight loss, cardiovascular health, body toning or to build strength and stamina. If you select the area of your fitness that you want to improve, then you can build your fitness routine around it. As well as your ultimate aim, set yourself mini goals at various stages throughout your intended program, as these will break up a long term discipline, and give you cause for celebrating when you achieve them.
Why do you want to get fit? This is your main motivation and ought to be considered carefully to determine the driving force behind your desire to develop a fitness routine. Investigate the reasons that you want to get fit. It could be that you have an event to attend that you want to look your best for. Possibly you have just noticed that you cannot see your toes because of the large gut you have acquired. It may be that your objective is to play a sport at a higher level or even just play a sport at all!
When are you going to do your routine? A big part of accomplishing your fitness target is having the time to regularly participate in your routine. If you have to make time for a program, which part of the day are you allocating to it? What will you have to sacrifice in order to clear the time you require, and is it going to be available in the future? Good time management is essential and vowing to get out of bed 30 minutes earlier each day will probably not be good enough!
Where are you going to do it? Are you the sort of person that needs to go out to a pool, gym or running track in order to make sure that you maintain your routine? If you are planning on exercising at home, do you have the space and the right equipment to enable you to perform your fitness regime? If you intend to jog your way to fitness, you may have to consider the neighborhood – not just whether it is a safe area, but also how many hills there are and what volume of traffic is there at the time that you have allocated for your run.
How are you going to get fit? Now you have the answers to all the previous questions, you are in a better place to take your first steps. You have your targets and motivation, know what time you have available to follow your program and where you are going to do it. There are a few “Do’s and Don’ts” you should consider as well – Take care that you are not starting your fitness routine at too strenuous a level, take it easy in the early stages and build up as you get stronger and fitter. Make sure that you “warm up” and “cool down” either side of your exercises and wear suitable clothing. Finally, don’t procrastinate! The sooner you get started, the sooner you will feel more vibrant, healthier and fitter!
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