Whether you have never exercised a day in your life or you just got off track after graduating high school, you are more than capable of getting in shape and reaching your goals! You just have to know where to start!
1. Start Small
You do NOT need to start by going to the gym for hours each day! This will more than likely cause you to burnout due to your body not being use to it. Start small! When I first started working out almost two years ago, I start by doing a short 5-10 minute workout on the floor in my dorm room and slowly worked my way into longer and more intense workouts!
2. Stay Consistent
I will say this time and time again, consistency is key! You wouldn't brush your teeth for a few days and then say, "Hmm, I think my teeth are pretty clean so I'm just not going to brush them anymore". So why would you do that to your body? Many people workout or diet until they see a small sign of the results they were wanting and then stop! This will only cause you to get stuck in a cycle of working out/dieting, seeing results, stopping, losing results, and starting over. This is a very gruesome cycle to be in. Do yourself a favor and don't stop! Stay consistent!
3. Eat Accordingly
Haven't you ever heard that abs are made in the kitchen? Even if your goal isn't to get abs, you should still put a huge part of your focus on nutrition. This is because a majority of your fitness/health is going to be determined by what you eat. If you aren't sure what type of diet or nutrition plan is right for you to look it up! There are PLENTY of resources out there to help you figure this out. YouTube it, Google it and get a tracking app (my personal favorite is MyFitnessPal).
4. Set Goals
Set attainable short term AND long term goals. Key word here is attainable. Don't set impossible goals! Set short term goals so you can have personal victories to celebrate and motivate you along the way and set long term goals to have a big dream to be consistently working toward to help you keep your focus.
5. Do What You Enjoy
Figure out what kind of exercising you enjoy and do it. Not everyone is going to like the something and if you do something you don't enjoy then it is just going to be that much harder for you to stick with it and not get burnt out. For example, my boyfriend loves to run. I, on the other hand, will do anything to avoid running. It's all about your personal preference! If you do what you enjoy, then working out/exercising will be something you look forward to rather than something you dread.
If you follow these five steps you will be reaching your goals, seeing those results, and being healthier in no time!
