Today I’m going to give you a health & fitness quick start guide.
I will lay out 6 steps you can take to kick start your health & fitness journey.
How many times have you thought to yourself, “I really want to be healthier but I just don’t know where to start.”
With the vast amount of fitness, diet & health information out there, it can be incredibly difficult to know what information is valid, what the best route for you is & where to begin.
This can make taking the first step overwhelming.
And a common response to that overwhelming feeling is to never start.
In this health & fitness quick start guide, you will learn 6 sure-fire steps you can take to get a strong start on your health & fitness journey.
Taking these 6 steps will help you build a strong foundation for progression, develop healthy habits & get into a growth mindset.
When you follow this health & fitness quick start guide, you will build momentum, motivation & focus that will set the stage for success!
You will reach your goals in a healthy, sustainable & enjoyable way. You can use the tools you will learn in this guide to take control of your health & fitness & you can gain the freedom to shape your body & mind into what you truly envision for yourself.
Are you ready to learn my 6 steps to kick start your health & fitness journey? Let’s begin.
Step 1.
Start by setting a goal that is SMART.
Let’s take this common goal for example: I want to lose weight.
Specific
When writing goals, state exactly what you would like to achieve. The more specific your goal is, the more likely you are to reach it.
Instead of “I will lose weight,” rewrite your goal to read “I will lose 10 lbs in 2 months.”
Measurable
Being able to track your progress is an essential component to achieving your goals. It can motivate you to keep going and stay on track.
“I will lose 10 lbs in 2 months” is a measurable goal. You can monitor how much weight you are losing weekly and have a definite way of knowing when you’ve reached your goal.
Achievable
You want your goal to be challenging, but not unattainable. Set yourself up for success by starting small and you will see yourself be more consistent and stay motivated.
“I will lose 10 lbs in 2 months” is a challenging yet attainable goal. You can visualize yourself reaching it by seeing your weekly progress and being consistent. This will encourage you to stay on track!
Realistic/Relevant
Your goal should be within reach. This goes hand-in-hand with being achievable.
It wouldn’t be realistic to set a goal of losing 30 lbs in 1 month. It wouldn’t allow you to implement healthy habits leading to a maintainable target weight. Unrealistic goals set you up for setbacks, failure, discouragement and a loss of interest.
It’s important that your goals are relevant to you as well. Find your why.
Maybe you want to lose the 10 lbs in 2 months because you want to feel better during daily activities or you want to fit into a certain outfit for an event. It can by anything that is important to you! If your goal is worthwhile to you, you’ll be more motivated to work towards it and you’ll feel more accomplished when you achieve it!
Time-bound
Set a time frame in which you want to achieve your goal. Allow yourself enough time but also set a deadline to create urgency. This will motivate you to get started and consistently work towards accomplish your goal.
“I will lose 10 lbs in 2 months” gives you a realistic amount of time but will require you to follow-through each day.
Step 2.
You’ve figured out your SMART health goal. Now, make a commitment to yourself to work towards it each day.
Set yourself up for success in achieving your goals by following these tips.
Write down your goal and post it somewhere visible.
The more you see it, the more you’ll make it a priority and take steps toward achieving it. Seeing it will help you be mindful of it everyday.
Schedule time to work towards your goal.
Especially at the start of your journey, you want to make new habits that help you progress. Treat these habits the same way you would a mandatory work meeting by blocking off time in your daily routine. This will help you commit to the task until it becomes a habit.
Start small.
There’s no need to overwhelm yourself by making multiple changes at once. Focus on one thing at a time which will help you stick with it. Be aware of where you’re starting on your journey and realize that working on just one thing is a step forward. These small improvements will add up and you will make significant progress than you may not have even believed possible!
Remove, avoid & plan for any obstacles.
Unexpected things can often come up. Be prepared for this and have a backup plan – make everybody aware of your blocked off time, schedule alternate times through the day in case one becomes compromised, or create a few shorter blocks of time to get your daily work in.
Manage your expectations.
Remember that your health journey doesn’t have to be an all or nothing process. Take a moderate approach and allow yourself some flexibility. Just because you may miss a day now or then of working towards your goal or you weren’t able to dedicate as much time as you wanted, realize that something is always better than nothing! Assume that things won’t always go as planned. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t get down on yourself. Just get back on track and keep going!
Seek out support.
Tell your family and friends about your goal. Make the people around you aware of what you’re working to achieve. Think about distancing yourself from those that you feel don’t understand or aren’t supportive of you. The more supportive people you surround yourself with, the more encouraged you will feel to keep going!
Step 3.
Move!
No matter what your specific goal is, every health & fitness journey should include physical activity. Exercise is important for everyone’s health. Regular activity improves your health, fitness and quality of life.
7 Benefits of Exercise
- Decreased risk of chronic disease: Type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, heart disease, obesity (just to name a few)
- Stronger immune function
- Stronger bones & muscles
- Stress reduction, improved mood & mental health
- Increased energy levels
- Improved quality of sleep
6 Ways to Get Started
Start small, keep it simple & go slow.
Daily exercise doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. Engage in short 10-minute bursts of activity and do that a few times a day. Exercise doesn’t need to be complicated. Keep it simple and just take a walk or go to a guided class! Go slow and increase gradually and you’ll decrease your chance of getting injured or burning out.
Make it enjoyable.
The best exercise is something you enjoy doing! You don’t necessarily have to sign up at a gym or start running just because you think that’s what you should do. Instead, pick activities that you enjoy, that will make you feel confident and that fit your lifestyle. Activities that you’ll look forward to showing up for are the ones you’ll stick with in the long run.
Track your progress.
Focus on one workout at a time and one day at a time. Then, complete the next day, and keep going! Keep a track of how many minutes you’re getting it in each day and try to progress every workout or every day or even every week. As long as you’re pushing yourself to do a little bit more with time, you will get fitter and healthier!
Make it a routine.
Figure out your ideal time to exercise each day and schedule it in your calendar so it becomes part of your daily routine.
Make it social.
Find a workout buddy! It’ll make exercising more fun and you’ll be held accountable. You’re less likely to skip a workout if you have someone waiting on you to show up.
Focus on the positive and realize how good it makes you feel to move!
Step 4.
Eat well!
It can be overwhelming to keep up with all the conflicting nutrition advice out there. Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be complicated or boring. You don’t have to be overly restrictive or deprive yourself of the foods you love.
Eating healthy should be about improving your health, having more energy, boosting your mood and fueling your body. Most of all, healthy eating should be about making yourself feel amazing! Small changes can have a powerful impact.
Try incorporating some of these tips and learn to create a nutritious way of eating that works for you!
Drink more water
Replace sugary drinks with water or seltzer.
Eat more fruits & vegetables
Replace packaged snack foods with fruits & veggies.
Increase your protein intake
Include a palm sized portion of protein at each meal
Eat slowly & mindfully
– Chew each bite fully
– Stop eating when you’re 80% full
– Don’t multitask while eating (phone, tv, etc.)
Plan
– Know what you’re going to eat ahead of time
– Keep healthy snacks readily available & visible
– Prepare more of your own meals
Eat a balanced diet
Eat a variety of foods and a balance of protein, fat, carbs, fiber, vitamins & minerals
Include your favorite foods
You won’t stick to eating healthy if you can’t eat your favorite foods. Fit them in with moderation!
Be informed
Read nutrition labels & look up nutrition information before going out to eat
Focus on what you can eat, not what you can’t!
Remember…
– You don’t have to be perfect
– This is not all or nothing, practice moderation
– You don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy
– You don’t have to change everything at once
Step 5.
Manage your stress & get some sleep
Stress & sleep are closely linked. Stress can be detrimental to the duration & quality of your sleep and insufficient sleep can increase stress levels. Both stress & lack of good sleep can put your physical & mental health at risk.
Stress isn’t necessarily bad. It’s a natural reaction to life experiences. There’s an optimal level of stress that is actually beneficial to your health. This level varies from person to person. A healthy level of stress triggers your body’s flight or fight response, which protects your body by preparing you to quickly react.
However when stress levels stay elevated & exceed your mental, emotional & physiological limits, it becomes harmful to your health. This is called distress and chronic distress affects your body, mood & behavior & raises the risk for many health conditions – heart disease, hypertension, eating disorders, diabetes, depression, some cancers & sleep disorders.
Sleep is a vital component of healthy living. It facilitates a wide range of bodily processes such as muscle & tissue repair, hormone synthesis, toxin removal & memory formation. Unfortunately, sleep is one of the first things to go when you feel like you are lacking time & the health consequences are often overlooked. You’ll feel tired & grumpy in the short-run & use caffeine as a quick-fix to get through the day, but long-term lack of sleep puts your mental & physical health at risk. It can leave you in a state of chronic fatigue, exhaustion & confusion. It weakens the immune system, disrupts mental function & negatively impacts stress levels, mood & behavior. It also increases the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes & psychological disorders.
Here are some tips to manage stress & improve your sleep
- Exercise regularly
– Eat healthy & balanced meals
– Avoid caffeine after 1 pm
– Set a consistent sleep schedule
– Practice meditation & deep breathing
– Follow the same bedtime wind-down routine every night
– Put all electronics away an hour before bedtime
– Make your bedroom a peaceful & comfortable place
– Make time for hobbies & relaxation
– Take a hot bath or shower before bed
Step 6.
“The journey is the destination. The process you’re in is the goal. Success is never defined by the outcome but by the process.” -Paul Young
Have you ever been so focused on achieving a goal that you forgot to savor the process? One day, you notice that you’re finally where you want to be. After your long, hard-fought journey, you’re at your goal weight, you’re completing your 5K, or whatever it may be. You’ve reached your destination. You’ve succeeded. Looking back, did you enjoy your journey? What lessons did you take away from it? How will you carry that knowledge forward? Will it shape your journey to your next goal? How did it change you?
3 years ago, I suffered an injury that, in the moment, felt like was one of the worst things that could’ve happened to me. I have been active since I was a kid – tennis, taekwondo and eventually weightlifting. I spent 6 years in college studying exercise science & have been helping people get healthy & fit since I graduated. Health & fitness is my life. It’s my way of life. It’s what I’m most passionate about. So when I got injured, it felt like this 5-second occurrence had taken my passion away from me. I couldn’t do anything by myself. I was in constant pain. By the time surgery day rolled around, I found myself in the worst shape of my life – physically, mentally & emotionally.
Over the next few months, I went through physical therapy, got back to training people and slowly started regaining my confidence in all aspects. Eventually, I got back into the gym, started paying attention to my nutrition & worked on pulling myself out of the mental & emotional mess I was in. Day-by-day, I improved. I gained self-confidence. I built my strength back up. I regained the ability to mindfully move my body. And this has continued since that time 3 years ago. Today, as I reflect back on that journey, I see that it was one of the most valuable times in my life. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t fun, it wasn’t easy. But because of this, I learned so much that has changed the way I live my life today. This journey changed my path – it guided me to who I am today. And who I am today is a more mindful, stronger & confident version of myself.
So on your journey of health & fitness to achieving whatever you want to, remember to appreciate where you are now & how you will reach your goal. Check-in with yourself, listen to your body & monitor your progress. Find meaning in & learn from the peaks & valleys of your journey & your success will be so much sweeter!
Want to learn how to burn fat & lose muscle?
Take this free gift!
