Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once. It’s one of the major problems I see in the clients in Houston. Fitness can start with small changes and have just as much of an impact as jumping into a program that changes several aspects of your life. The concept of fitness is a broad category with each person requiring a different focus. For the twenty year old, being able to run ten miles might be his or her idea of being fit, but for the senior, it’s probably something totally different. That’s one reason working with a personal trainer is important, just as identifying areas of your life that need improvement. There’s no right or wrong approach. It’s all about what’s right for you and it can begin with small changes at first.
Be clear about what you want to achieve.
Don’t let yourself feel overwhelmed by all that you need to change. Take one step at a time. Make a list of areas where you feel you need improvement. Do you feel dragged out and tired all the time? Are you overweight? Do you want to tone your muscles? Do you want to learn to eat healthier? Pick one goal to begin your journey to fitness and then identify what it takes to get there. If you want more energy, you may need to exercise and eat healthier. That doesn’t mean you have to do both at once.
If you have a goal that requires several changes, pick one of those and begin working on it.
Now that you’ve chosen your goal, break it down to steps. Fitness isn’t an all or nothing proposition. Sure it would be nice to do it all at once, but for some people, it’s not an option. Those people overwhelm themselves with change. For that goal to feel better, start a program of exercise and add healthy eating and other factors later. Some, like adequate sleep and good hydration often occur at the same time, because exercise helps you sleep better and you’ll drink more water when you workout. Make working out a habit. Give it twelve weeks and then consider adding more to your fitness platter.
Is weight loss a goal?
If you have more than a couple of pounds to shed, don’t try to do it all at once. Break that big goal down to mini goals. Breaking it down to two or three pounds a week makes it manageable. Start with a healthy eating program first, since you can’t out-exercise a bad diet and add exercise as you progress. Make small changes in your eating habits, like cutting out junk food or switching out sugary treats for healthy snacks, will get you on the road to healthy eating. Increase your activity level if you’re not ready for a regular workout. Take the stairs, walk to lunch or park further from the store and walk.
- Once the small change becoming a habit, make another small change. Cut out sugary treats and opt for fruit, nuts or vegetables as snacks. When it’s a habit, increase the amount of vegetables you eat each day.
- If you aren’t satisfied with the results, nothing says you can’t make more changes. Maybe you’re ready for to convert to total healthy eating and an exercise program.
- One of the biggest problems many people face is lack of sleep. It actually affects your ability to lose weight! Try to make getting a good night’s rest one of your priorities.
- When you make small changes a habit, you slide into fitness and build the determination to keep going. It’s better to change on small aspect successfully, than try to do it all and fail.