Fitness Dos and Don’ts

When beginning your fitness journey, you may feel dread, stress, or just have general questions. However, once you are aware of some basic guidelines, you will likely feel more ready and confident about your understanding of fitness and the ways in which you should be treating your body. 

Do:

Experiment

When I first started making my fitness a priority, I originally was going to stick to one workout and make it a fixed plan. However, I quickly realized that I needed to change it up: variation is key. I suggest figuring out which type of workouts you love (HIIT, strength, endurance, etc.) and then researching different types of exercises and workouts that provide similar benefits.

Don't:

Plateau

This goes hand in hand with experimenting. If you are trying to increase anything, from strength, to flexibility, to endurance, you will get nowhere by doing the same exact routine every time you workout. Your abilities will remain the same, and you will see zero to minimal changes, something that is called a plateau. In order to combat this, it is essential that you a) increase the time/distance you are doing something and b) vary your exercises and types of workouts on a weekly basis.

Do:

Make a schedule

This is extremely important and you can do it in many ways. You can plan your workout on a day to day basis, constructing an outline of what you'd like to achieve on that day, or you can be more detailed and plan your week, deciding which days you will workout and what you will do on each day. I found that by doing this, I was much more incentivized, and instead of getting to the gym and having to play it by ear, I had at least a few things in mind I knew I was set out to do.

Don't:

Be unrealistic

It is important to understand that you are human and will not reach all of your goals in a week. It takes time, effort, and patience. You should not expect perfection out of yourself, because perfection is impossible. Acknowledge that you have limits, and learn about what those are, so that you can make a realistic agenda and timeline. It is vital, for example, to take at least a couple rest days per week so that your muscles can rest and grow, which ultimately will only get you closer to achieving your goals.

Do:

Set small goals

By doing this, you make it easier to feel able to reach your goals. Additionally, by achieving these small goals, you will be more productive in reaching your long-term goals. Again, you are human, so celebrate your victories, and then work toward your next goals.

Don't:

Disregard your diet

As you probably know, a major part of fitness and health is diet and nutrition. So, if you have a great workout routine and schedule, but are eating whatever and whenever you want, your goals will not likely be reachable. It is important to fuel your body with good fats (nuts, avocado, fish), lean protein, and tons of fruits and vegetables. However, as mentioned above, do not set unrealistic goals; allow yourself to enjoy your guilty pleasure foods a couple times a week, and do not go too hard on yourself. If you are restricting everything, the stress of maintaining this will harm your wellbeing immensely. And of course, HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! Water is so important, so make sure that you are remembering to drink water and trying to substitute the sugary drinks (which will ultimately deplete your energy levels) for water or, if you prefer flavors, seltzer or water with fruit.