The Best Way to Start Your Fitness Journey
I knew for my mental health and also to be the best mom, wife, and person, I needed to workout, but where do I start? Through trial and error over the last 15 years since giving birth to my oldest, I figured out the best way to start your fitness journey.
What Are the Best Ways to Start Your Fitness Journey?
Goals
Activities
Start Small
Workout Buddy
Don't be hard on yourself
Goals
First things first - the best place to start your journey is to ask where you want to be in 6 months and one year? Is it back in shape, stronger, leaner, get your abs back, show some arm and back muscle, and so on.
I do believe that trying to get the body of a celebrity who works out for hours a day and has a personal trainer, chef, etc., is unattainable. With that said, what do you want your body to look like?
Activities
I am going to give you the secret to liking fitness - it is to find activities you like to do. If you enjoy your fitness, then you are way more likely to actually make the time for it.
After you have made your goal list, I would create a list of activities you enjoy such as: walking outside, dancing, lifting weights, boxing, group classes, working out at home, etc.
As you know after having kids, your life changes. You may not have the time to go to the gym for a couple of hours, or you may be able to go to a class or gym if they have childcare.
Nowadays it is so easy to find activities that you can fit into your busy life. Can't or don't want to leave the house to work out? Then invest in home fitness equipment. A set of dumbbells and a Peloton are a great place to start. Or buy the virtual class pass to a barre or yoga studio.
Have time to go to a gym? Find a place that has childcare that your kids are okay going to.
Start Small
After the baby, I wanted my body back in one month so I went 150%. Not good! Going this fast usually meant that I would burn out and give up on my goals.
Fitness, like most things, is a marathon, not a sprint. You are setting up life goals, life long habits and with that in mind, make sure to start small. Maybe it is just a 20-minute walk every day to start. Then maybe you add a class once or twice a week. Then build out a program for every day of the week, with at least one rest day.
Photo by Jonathan Borba
Workout Buddy
A workout buddy can help you hit those goals. When you get tired or want to skip out on doing fitness, a workout buddy can help. You can each hold the other person accountable because you scheduled to meet or give you the motivation you need.
Let's face it - you don't want to be that buddy that bails on the other person when you are meeting them at the gym or see your friend make a lot of headway towards their goals, but you are not.
Don't be hard on yourself
And finally, but maybe the hardest of them all, is not be hard on yourself. Show yourself and your body a lot of compassion - you have created a human life, and that is truly a feat that is second to none.
Having a baby is definitely not given the credit it is due by a long shot. But until the thinking changes around us, we have to change it for ourselves.
We are on this journey to create the best versions of ourselves what ever that looks like. So when your ego wants to have a flat stomach or no cellulite or stretch marks, etc., remember how strong your body is in that it created and gave life. Celebrate that.
Other Things to Consider on Starting your Fitness Journey
If all of this overwhelms you, I would consider two options. One is to find a class you like at your local studio, gym, or online and just start doing that 2 to 3 times a week. It will get you started on your journey, and the rest you can add or think about as you can.
The other option would be to hire a personal trainer. A personal trainer can help you with these five steps and more. With that said, personal trainers are not all alike, so definitely make sure you shop around until you find one you like.
The last and maybe one of the biggest considerations is food. You could go through these five steps and do everything right, but if you are eating lots of non-nutritious food then it won't matter. They say abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym. Food is a major percentage of obtaining our goals so make sure you know what your body needs and when.
Summary
Even if you never worked out before the baby, consider starting. It is one of the things that has helped me be a better mother, partner, and friend. Make sure you balance your needs with the other people who rely on you. The cliche is true - you have to fill your cup before you can fill others. Make time for yourself to start or continue your fitness journey.
