We are getting to that time of year when we are all ready for a fresh start. Some of us may be starting from scratch, while others have fallen off the fitness wagon and are looking to start back up again. Regardless of where you are starting from, beginning a fitness journey can seem overwhelming. No matter your fitness past, the tips below will help you get a Fresh Start with your fitness.

Get Serious

First you need to find your Why. It’s very important for you to know the reasons why you want to make a lifestyle change. Your why could be that you want to have more energy for your children or maybe you want to perform better at work and get a promotion. Your “why” is very important because it is going to help set the tone for all the work ahead of you. Write down your reason and hang it somewhere you will see every day. This way when you are feeling unmotivated or wanting to quit you can be reminded of the reasons why you are committing to a healthier life.

Commit to Yourself

This can be the hardest part for most people. We tend to put ourselves last, especially when we have families, jobs, and friends that we need to make time for. It’s probably hard to imagine that there is any more time in the day to make for going to the gym or meal planning. It’s not that there isn’t enough time in the day, it’s just that you need to prioritize your time better. Maybe for you this means getting a workout in during your lunch hour or waking up an hour earlier and starting your day with a good sweat session. It may seem hard at first, but once you make it a habit you will feel so accomplished and more energized throughout your day. Not one gym schedule looks the same, so do what you can stick to! If you find yourself still not making it to the gym, it may help you to add it to your calendar and treat it as an appointment. Commit to making the time for yourself each day and you will become a better parent, spouse, employee, and friend - a better YOU!

Take Your Time

Start with making it a priority to get to the gym at least three times a week. If you can make it in more than that, then great! Just make sure you are not doing too much too fast because that is the quickest way to an injury. If you are unsure of how much you should be starting with or what you should be doing when you are at the gym, then you should invest in a workout program. Now there are a lot of free workouts you can find online, but it’s important to keep in mind that these programs aren’t tailored to you and may not be able to help you progress. You will want a workout program that reflects not only your goals, but also the time you can commit to the gym. This will ensure that you aren’t wasting any time doing exercises that aren’t helping you get any closer to seeing results. Most people give up within the first couple weeks of starting to exercise because they are not seeing results, or they bit off more than they can chew. Take your time and be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are you! If you are consistent then you will see results, but great results don’t happen overnight.

Recruit Help
Last, but very important is to recruit help! Now that you have committed, and you have a plan it’s still a possibility that you won’t follow through. This is when accountability comes in. Accountability can come in many forms: hiring a Personal Trainer, getting a workout partner, relying on your spouse, or joining a group exercise class. Joining challenges can always be a fun and easy way to keep yourself accountable. Whatever floats your boat, it’s more fun when you can share the journey with someone else.

Getting started isn’t easy, but remember you are worth it, and you will get stronger! You might fall off and have to start back at step one, but it’s better than never beginning in the first place.