Hello!

Since I shared yesterday about how important it is to take care of our bodies, I thought I would share this post I wrote a little over a year ago about getting started on our fitness journeys.

“First off, growing up, my family never really had soda in the house. The occasional pizza night or activity at church allowed about a glass or two of the carbonated beverage.

There were never that many super unhealthy snacks in the house. Around my time in high school,  my mom had wanted to purchase more organic food with no MSG or GMO’s.

When I moved out on my own, I wanted to try and purchase food that was organic with no MSG or GMOs. I still have the occasional unhealthy snack, but this is only once and a while. It’s called a treat for a reason. If I had ice cream every day, to me that wouldn’t be a treat. I rarely have the stuff in my freezer nowadays. Why? Because, I still have a sweet tooth and knowing a carton of delicious ice cream is sitting in my freezer does not help my fitness journey. I tend to eat the treats right away, instead of having it sit around in my house for a week because that unhealthy temptation is there and I can’t let a perfectly yummy treat go to waste.

 

Here are a few, simple tips to getting started on your fitness journey:

#1 Food Prep

I found prepping my food on the weekend has been one of the major factors that has really helped me with my fitness journey. Usually, I will do my food prep on Saturday mornings. I usually make breakfast and dinners for the week. The total time it takes me is just around an  hour. Only one time, did it take me almost two hours, but it has usually always stayed around one hour. One hour a week of food prep and you are all set for the entire week!

If you feel like you don’t need to do food prep or you already have a healthy diet but you tend to hate the thought of cooking after work, this is another way food prep really helps out! After work, I don’t feel like cooking, but since I have already done my food prep, I just have to heat up a plate of what I have already prepped and that’s it! The lazy cooks dream! Try to make a generous portion of vegetables. I usually try to use up what I already have on hand by browsing Pinterest or social media for ideas.

#2 Gradually start exercising

If you have never exercised before, or at least haven’t exercised more than once or twice a week, I would not suggest trying to bench 100 pounds, do 50 pushups, 50 crunches, and run a mile all in one day. Sure, you can work up to that, but you will wake up regretting it. It’s great that you want to start exercising more often! Finding a balance is key. You can try walking a mile one day and the next day trying to do a cardio routine that includes 10 pushups and crunches. I think it’s really important to gradually work your way into your fitness routine. You want your workout to be fun and not something that you dread every single day. Find what workout suits you best by trying different ones. Try to exercise for 30 minutes for at least 3 days a week. If your just starting out, try to do 15-20 minutes. Right now, I’m really enjoying Pilates while listening to fun, upbeat music.

This is so true! No matter how slow you go, you are still going faster than everyone that’s sitting on the couch. Start slow and gradually work your way to doing more and more. It is truly amazing when your body is able to do an exercise you never thought possible. Patience and practice come into play here! Don’t rush an exercise! You don’t want to injure yourself!

 

#3 Breathing and Hydration

Remember to inhale and exhale while exercising.  Your breathing may not be perfect, but keep breathing! Staying hydrated is also very important! Sometimes, if I haven’t had enough water I can get a headache that bothers me until I drink some water. Also, at times when you feel hungry, that may just be your body asking for some water.

#4 Don’t Quit

This can be so easy to do! You may be thinking “I can’t do 10 pushups, let alone 50!” “Is she crazy walking a whole mile?!”. Yes, it may seem crazy. You may look at your role model for fitness inspiration and couldn’t fathom doing a workout like they do, but they are at a different fitness level.

Practice makes perfect. Well, maybe not always perfect. The more you exercise the more fit you will become. Focus on getting stronger not skinnier. We are all built differently. We all have hard days. Days where we don’t feel like exercising at all. It’s okay to take a rest day. Just don’t give up for good! Enjoy your rest day and get back to it tomorrow!

There is so much more I could say regarding fitness. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, keep on and don’t quit!”

You can do it!