Getting started and staying motivated with your path to health and fitness

A POSITIVE attitude and a well-defined plan are vital if you want to achieve serious results on your path to health and fitness. With this in mind and your new gym membership all paid up, here are some pointers on getting started and staying motivated.

Health check

Get medical advice before you set out on any new fitness regime, especially if you’re starting from scratch or trying an activity that’s entirely new to you. Have a check-up before you set off and talk to your doctor about what you’re planning. No doctor will tell you not to exercise, but they might advise with regard to the type and intensity based on the specifics of your current health and medical history.

Always remember to warm up before each session, as failure to do so is a sure way to end up injured, and this will then hinder your progress. The last thing you want is a ‘real’ reason not to exercise. Similarly, taking time to stretch and warm down afterwards will help avoid soreness and injury.

Set realistic goals

Before you set foot inside the door of a gym, write down your aims. Do you want to lose weight, get more active or perhaps you want a combination of both? Whatever the reason, take small steps and get as much advice as you can. Don’t set unachievable goals that will be too difficult to reach and don’t expect big results immediately. This can be a real negative in terms of staying motivated. Slow and steady wins the long-term fitness race.

Professional advice

A professional trainer will take into account your age, fitness level and any medical condition you have, and from this starting point they will help you tailor an exercise routine that you can handle and set targets you can achieve. They will also show you around the gym and how each of the machines works.

Nutrition

Despite any ideas to the contrary in terms of trying to lose weight, proper nutrition is hugely important to any successful fitness regime. You don’t have to cut out all the foods you love, just cut back, drink plenty of water, eat fresh fruit and veg, and again seek advice from a trusted expert with regard to fuelling your body before, during and after exercise.

Buddy up

One of the very best ways to maintain motivation, especially on those cold and dark days when the bed seems the best option, is to have a gym/fitness buddy to train with. Team up with a like-minded friend (it could be someone from your gym class) or family member. Not wanting to let them down by not turning up, and vice versa, will be a huge motivator, plus it’ll just make the whole thing more fun – nothing like a bit of friendly banter to raise the spirits when the going gets tough!

Track progress

It’s important to track your progress over a period of time. If you stick with your plan, you will notice differences in your overall ability, fitness and wellbeing. You might choose to use a fitness tracker on your phone, or you might prefer to keep a simple handwritten journal. Either way, you’ll find this to be a huge motivator when you see the differences from when you started to say, three months, six months and further down the line. Take pride in your progress, no matter how slow it may seem to you. It’s all progress – every step taken, every weight lifted etc is one more than you might have done sitting at home in front of the TV, and over time they all add up to a happier, healthier you.

Which gym?

We are blessed with an abundance of gyms across West Cork. One of the easiest ways to pick one is by location. Is there a gym that is convenient to you and which will fit in with your routine? Maybe that means picking one near your home or perhaps you pass one on your daily commute to work and you will find it easier to keep it up if you can go either on the way to or from work. However, if a specific gym offers something which you really want, you might be happy to travel out of your way. It is about whatever works best for you.

Classes

Many gyms run a variety of classes which can be a great way of getting into exercise. You will train in a group environment and under instruction. Examples include spinning, crossfit, bootcamps, aerobics, strength and conditioning, kettlebells and boxercise.

Consistency

As with any new habit, the key to success is consistency. When things aren’t going smoothly or progress is slowing, staying consistent and pushing through those barriers will have great benefits in the long-term. Always go back to the goals you set at the beginning and remember why you started. It will also be easier to be consistent if you have a good support network around you. This can be in the form of your family or friends, it can be the aforementioned training buddy who goes to the gym with you and keeps you accountable, or it can be a coach who helps you with your goals.

Remember, results don’t happen overnight so be patient, consistent and stick to your goals.