Start Your Fitness Journey Now

Hi friends!! Happy Friday :D. Even though I have lots of school work to do this weekend, I’m still looking forward to it…especially tonight where my friends and I will be going to another dinner party! So fun!

Can you believe it’s already December? And winter is almost “officially” upon us. Craziness.

I’ve already been in the holiday spirit for some time but I do know that once December hits that spirit tends to explode for everyone. One thing that the holidays always mean for me is the consumption of delicious treats. I don’t like to deprive myself of tasty goodies, but I also don’t go overboard. It’s all about moderation. In order to “keep myself in check” during the holidays I utilize my love of fitness :).

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I recently became a Fitfluential ambassador which is an incredibly amazing honor and something that I am so excited about! This month my fellow ambassadors and I want to let you know that NOW is a fantastic time to start your own fitness journey or continue on your path if you already have. Because after all, there is no time like the present…and for a little play on words, why not let yourself enjoy all of the presents that fitness can offer you?

Fitness was not always something that I enjoyed or did for the right reasons. Growing up I was really active. I played outside all the time, rode my bike, danced, and played rec soccer. I danced and cheered throughout middle and high school. When those things ended and there was no set schedule for me to get my activity in, I had to take things into my own hands and step foot into a gym.

For a couple of years I was definitely a cardio queen and my sole reason for working out was to burn calories so that I wouldn’t gain weight. In college I met my now fiance and he opened up a whole new world of fitness to me. He was a college baseball player and had done a lot of functional training throughout his life. I learned to incorporate weight training into my workouts and he helped me discover ways of working out that were enjoyable to me.

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Through him I think my interest in health and fitness was sparked and I changed my major to Exercise Science. I graduated with a B.S. in that field and knowing all of the wonderful things that exercise can do for our bodies and lives has intensified my love for fitness even more. Today, I continue my love affair with fitness 5-6 days a week and I always try to come up with new ways to workout in order to keep myself challenged and motivated. Feel free to check out my workouts page for some ideas!

Fitness does not have to be something that is scary and impossible. EVERYONE can become a fitfluential version of themselves :). I want to share some tips for beginners as to how they can easily start their fitness journey now!

Fitness Tips for Beginners

1. Make yourself a priority. I often hear that people don’t workout because they are so busy doing things for other people. There is nothing wrong with doing something for yourself. Especially when that something is extremely beneficial to your health and well-being! Afterall…you want to be healthy in the long run so that you can be around for those same people.

2. Figure out what you love. Fitness does not have to involve running races or doing challenging kettlebell routines. Any form of exercise that you can do is beneficial and you will be MUCH more likely to do it if you do something that really enjoy. Take some time to figure it out. Take some group fitness classes to see what’s out there. Find videos online to try out different types of workouts. There is no cookie cutter way to workout that fits everyone’s life. Find what you love and you’ll want to do it!

3. Start small and work your way up. If you’re new to working out, your body likely won’t be able to handle a hard and long session. Ease your body into exercising so that it can adapt and so that you’ll feel good while doing it!

4. Educate yourself. If the machines at the gym intimidate you because you don’t know how to use them, find out! Either ask someone who works at the gym to explain them to you or find websites that will show you how to correctly use them. I still sometimes see things that I’m not quite sure how to use and I will look them up online. The same thing goes for types of exercises. Gym employees are often more than happy to answer your questions and it’s extremely easy to find pictures, descriptions and videos on the internet! A lot of the workouts I have posted have pictures or links to pages that describe a move.

5. Don’t compare yourself to others. The comparison trap is something that is so easy to fall into- even for those of us that have been exercising for a long time! Focus on what you are doing and the changes that are happening to you. Remember that everyone is different and that what works for one person likely won’t do much for another. Be proud of yourself for moving and working out! That in itself is amazing!

6. Don’t fret if you have a setback. Remember that you are changing something about your life. You are bound to have days where things just don’t go as planned. That’s ok! I still have days and sometimes a week when fitness just doesn’t workout so well for me. It happens. That’s no reason to give up. Just pick yourself up and get back in the saddle!

7. Find or talk to someone who loves fitness. I think one of the biggest reasons I initially started to love fitness was because of the way that my fiance spoke to me about it. You could tell that he loved what he was talking about and that passion was very contagious. Plus, learning why someone else loves fitness is extremely motivating!

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There is no time like the present. I encourage you to start your fitness journey now. I promise you won’t regret it!!