There are a few things you have to be aware of when you first begin a journey with creating a healthier lifestyle. These are 5 hard things you will learn from your fitness journey and in actuality aren’t really hard at all.
1. to be physically fit you have to want to be mentally fit.
Starting a journey with fitness usually begins with the need to be healthier or to lose weight. Some people want to physically look better because it will make them feel better. These are all amazing reasons to start or revamp your health journey. One key to being successful in accomplishing your goals is to understand that the process will not be easy. You will want to quit at times. You will want to say “to hell with this!” DON’T. It’s at that moment you are exercising your mental grit. Your mind is also a muscle and when things get hard it’s at that moment you are programming it. Mental fitness is defined as a “state of psychosocial well-being, it means having a positive sense of how we feel, think, and act, which improves our ability to enjoy life. It contributes to our innate ability to be self-determined.” Physical fitness lends itself directly to mental fitness. Meditation and a good old sweat session are good for you sis. Exercise has been proven to help decrease stress, depression, and anxiety. It definitely helps you deal with those bags you’ve been carrying.
2. It is a lifestyle.
You have to make a commitment to your journey. If you think being physically fit means you complete a 30-day challenge and then your done. You’ve got it twisted. You will make new goals once you accomplish your old ones. You’ll want to try new classes, workouts, and activities. You’ll never be done. Your body is a car and everyone knows you don’t just give it an oil change once. There are always things you have to do in order to upkeep the car. Your body is the same exact way. Start treating yourself like the luxury vehicle that you are. You will get stronger and will want to challenge yourself in different ways. Do it! Being ready to change your lifestyle and knowing you will have to do things differently will make it easier for you to commit to your health journey.
3. You will make mistakes.
You won’t know what a deadlift is, you won’t have a clue what a rep or set is and you’ll struggle with learning about eating the right foods for your fitness goals and that is okay! All that matters is that you start. You will learn how to master exercises and eating right eventually but the most important thing is that you don’t quit. Being consistent is half the battle and trust the process when you don’t see the results you desire.
4. There is no such thing as a cheat day.
Seriously. I believe in 80/20 and eating a flexible diet. This brings me back to point #2. Fitness is a lifestyle. You can’t cheat if you aren’t restricting yourself in some way. Food is about moderation and eating some junk food isn’t going to kill you but eating too much of it will. So it’s okay to go on vacation and eat like trash for a week sis. Do not beat your self up for not eating clean 100% of the time. Flexibility and balance are the keys to unlocking a healthy routine that you stick to.
5. You will never be the same and that’s okay.
You’re not supposed to be the same. When you commit to a healthy lifestyle you are committing to uncovering a happier and healthier version of you. You will find out that you are stronger than you ever believed and more powerful than you ever imagined. Finally discovering that you are capable of accomplishing anything you put your mind to. Ultimately uncovering a different version of yourself and that is perfectly okay!
I couldn’t help but offer you one bonus!
6. It’s easier to get started than you think.
Starting a journey to be healthier is easier than you think. All it takes is 30 minutes of physical activity daily to get started. Did you know you can break up the required 30 minutes into 3 sets of 10 minutes? You don’t even have to complete all 30 minutes at once. All you have to do is break a light sweat. So get your dance, walk or run on sis. It’s good for you. Make 2020, the year of uncovering your inner truth.
When you look back on your journey you’ll actually begin to realize that the 5 hard things you will learn from your fitness journey will actually start to be the best things you could learn about yourself and what you can accomplish. You can learn more about the required amount of exercise that you need here. Make 2020, the year of uncovering your inner truth.