Exercise is something everyone needs to do, but not every kind of fitness program is a good fit for all people. What’s your right fit?
Help, I Can’t See My Feet!
Can’t see your feet, eh? Finally decided to get off that couch and do something about it? Today is a special day. Today is that day where you decided to start exercising and change your life for the better and for good. But how do you get started? The fitness world is incredibly overwhelming, especially for beginners. It’s easy to get lost! There are so many kind of fitness programs out there. How do you choose?
Think About What Is Realistic For YOU
What exercise is right for you? The one you know you’ll do. Consistently. It’s true. You need to look at what is realistic for you, with your current lifestyle. Think about work. Think about kids. Think about what you do on a daily basis and think about fitness programs you could really, actually do. Not what you should do, or what will give you the fastest weight loss. Just think about what you can actually, really DO. It doesn’t matter how you get there, just that you get there.
Visualize It!
The first step to deciding what kind of exercise you should do is visualization. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, and get settled. Then imagine yourself in front of a mirror. Naked. See yourself and your body as it currently is. In all its glory or lack thereof. See it as it truly is. Now imagine a big Looney Tunes eraser coming in and erasing everything you except your head. Now take another deep breath. Now visualize your ideal body. If you could play God or sculptor or whatever you want to call it and create the body of your dreams, what would it look like?
That’s the most important step in the process. You can’t get anywhere in this world until you first know where you want to go. Then you figure out how to get there. If you want to look like Arnold, well, bodybuilding is the way to go. Get yourself a trainer and a protein shake and get to it. Want to have supple, graceful muscles, like a dancer? Yoga might be the way to go.
If you want to look lean and ripped but without all that bulk like a Marine or firefighter, CrossFit might be right for you.
If you hate the gym, there are other options, like hiking, or swing dance classes, or riding a bike. The big keys in terms of exercise are simply dedication and consistency.
You Have To Want It
If you don’t want it, it’s not going to happen. If you want it so bad you can taste it, then nothing can stop you. But wanting isn’t enough. You have to do the work. A lot. The devil is in the details and the details are measured in consistency.
If you want to be a bodybuilder, you’re committing yourself to consistently working out six days a week. If you want to get in good shape but not great, you’re committing yourself to consistently working out three or four days a week. If you want to walk your way to fitness, you need to consistently do it. Whatever you are willing to commit to in terms of an exercise schedule is fine, but you need to stick to it, no matter what.That’s why it’s so important to set goals that are actually attainable given your lifestyle. If you set yourself up for something impossible, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Don’t Make Excuses
Remember, excuses are for losers. Because people who succeed in life know there really are no excuses. Let’s say, hypothetically, you were morbidly obese and you wanted to start working out, but you didn’t want anyone else to see you, because you were insecure about your size or you didn’t want to be made fun of. No problem! There’s this thing called 24 hour fitness. You can work out at two in the morning or whenever you like. You can get your personal trainer on or lift by yourself and there will likely be nobody else working out with you. Just ask the membership sales rep when the peak times are the gym and avoid them.
Don’t have much money? No problem. There are tons of free exercise programs out there, or you can get yourself a workout DVD and do that!
Whatever your excuse is there’s really a simple way around it. Of course we all have our limitations, be they physical or what have you and don’t deny them. Just know that where there is a will, there is a way. And that’s the most important thing you’ll need on your fitness journey. You can do it. If you want to, and you’re willing to do the work.