If you want to have a successful fitness program then it needs to address two issues. Without either of these, odds are you simply will not get anywhere near the results you desire or are capable of. Simply put, you must like what you are doing and you must be making progress towards your goals.
As obvious as these both may seem, they can be difficult to put together. Think about it. Even if you have the most result producing fitness program ever, if you can’t stand following it, how long will it be before you quit? Or, if you’re doing something that you absolutely love, but that isn’t helping you progress towards your goals, how long will you be able to justify the time, energy, and sometimes the money it takes to continue?
The challenge is finding an effective form of fitness that you actually enjoy enough to stay with. It’s easier to do if you are open to trying different things and taking guidance to get properly introduced.
Fitness should be fun! That being said, every moment of every workout may not feel like a day at the beach. But the feeling of accomplishment and the pride in knowing that you are working towards reaching your goals can ease more than a bit of discomfort. At the very least, you shouldn’t hate it.
It may not even be the activity itself. It could be the environment and you just need a different gym, a friend to go with, a trainer to guide you, or some hot music to inspire you. Sure, those first new-born-deer fitness steps may seem awkward. Give yourself time to adjust and get to a point where you have a chance to enjoy it. In time, you can tell if a particular thing is simply not for you. When that happens, go out and find something that is.
The thing or things you find however, need to be in line with you reaching your goals. Playing basketball or tennis may help you with your weight loss goals, but if you’re trying to build muscle, they could be counterproductive. Archery or yoga may be fun and relaxing and help reduce stress but probably won’t effect the scale too much. Generally speaking, you will need some type of cardio based activity and some type of resistance based activity, and yes, those can be combined. Of course, to have a balanced fitness program you will also need some flexibility work and your diet will be a huge factor in terms of energy, recovery, and weight management.
Don’t overwhelm yourself initially. Look to find some exercise activities that sound interesting to you and are in line with helping you to reach your goals. Quite often, something just clicks and becomes part of a new way of life.
Taking a little time to explore your options and try different things, while always keeping in mind what your true goals are, can lead you to finding something that you really enjoy. That’s how fitness lifestyles start, by doing something you like that also happens to be good for you. Once you find it, that’s a nice place to be, and an easy place to stay.
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