I’m going to level with you here… I don’t know if there is a more saturated field of BS than fitness. Out of all the fitness information you’re likely to find online about how to get in shape, there are only a few basic things you need to remember.
Here is the honest truth about getting fit:
– Our bodies are all different and what works for me may not work for you.
– Whole foods, quality sleep, and plenty of water is the ultimate key to good health.
– There is no “magic supplement.”
– There are no “7 steps for the perfect chest”
(There are however exercises you can do that microtear muscles which are then repaired by time and sustenance – but that’s a discussion for another day.)
What i’m saying is If you’re just getting started on your fitness journey, it can be hard to navigate through all the fad diets and fitness misinformation online. You know, the ones that promise to show you how to get in shape fast with “this one trick” or which celebrities do what workouts.
Here are a few pieces of solid advice that will help you cut through the BS so you can get started on the path to better health; no matter what your fitness goals are. Following these 5 steps before you start working out will give you an honest look at some actionable fitness tips for beginners.
Step 1 – Checking the status of your “machine”
If you’re new to working out, the first thing I implore you to do is to check on the status of your “machine”. Yes, I’m talking about your body. Your body is a machine and when you dedicate time to working on it, you are basically giving that machine an upgrade.
Just like a car, your body has all sorts of systems in place to keep you functioning and running at full power. If you think about it, how well does your car run with bad gas? What happens if you never change the oil? Well, I think you probably get the mental image here.
This is why the most important thing you can do for yourself before you start on your new working-out adventure is to get a check-up from your doctor. This new working-out experience will truly change your life if you approach it in the right way.
So what should you ask your doctor about when you go in? Of course, there is all the standard stuff like blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. However, I suggest you try to go a step further by getting a complete hormone checkup. All your systems need to be at optimum levels to really take advantage of all the hard work you’re doing to see results and growth.
One weird thing I’ve noticed is that doctors seem to avoid doing full hormone panels. This is too bad because hormone imbalances can be misdiagnosed as depression or worse.. Imbalances can affect your overall results and consequently your motivation for working out. Having proper hormonal balance is important for sustaining healthy development through exercise and a doctor can help you with that and test for it as needed.
So when you go to the doctor, be sure to ask them to help you with a complete check-up with a comprehensive or full hormone panel before you start working on your fitness goals.
Step 2 – Find a way to make fitness fun
Now, what kind of physical activity are you interested in? Is it yoga, weight lifting, running? Or, maybe you want a combination of a few activities to add to your workout routine. Whatever you decide to start with, make sure you start slow and find a way to make it fun.
If it’s something new for you – like weight lifting for example – you may want to think about getting help from an experienced trainer. Still, this is something you need to be careful with. Beware of the so-called “coaches” or the people pretending to be them.
If you do not have someone who is helping you ease into things and stay comfortable during your first workouts, you have an awful trainer. There is no need to get your ass kicked the first workout. You need time enough to make it fun and interesting so you actually want to go back. Weight lifting just isn’t for you? Try something different next time.
The goal here is to find a type of fitness that is fun for you. The kind of physical activity you can look forward to, not something you dread.
Step 3 – Invest in workout clothes and gear that motivates you
Here is one you won’t expect a guy who looks like a Viking and wears the same looking outfit every day to say, but: Go out and get some gear!
Get some stuff you can feel good about wearing. If you’re shy about where you are at in your fitness goals, get a huge comfy sweatshirt. My point here is to spoil yourself. Get a cool new water bottle, headphones, whatever. Get workout clothes and gear that you actually look forward to using. You’ll be surprised at how motivating this step can be.
Step 4 – Don’t fall for nutrition scams
If you’re considering adding supplements to your workout routine or diet, don’t get them. I mean it – at least not at first.
No, protein shakes are not going to kill you – but there is no reason to put a bunch of powder through your liver when you’re just starting out on your fitness journey.
The best way to get your nutrition levels where they need to be is by absorbing nutrients from good old-fashioned food. At the end of the day, supplements only help a small percentage and at a good intensity of training. If you’re just starting to work out, there is no need to start dumping a bunch of stuff in your body.
If you get into it and decide you want to gain a bit more mass, or gains, that might be a good time to experiment with supplements, if at all.
Am I saying protein does not help? No. I’m not. And, before all the crazy fitness people come for my head: protein does help. What I am saying here is that when you’re first starting out in the world of fitness, you really don’t need to worry about supplements and powders and the like until you get an established routine and the rest in order.
I don’t care who’s telling you a lifetime of powders through your system will have an impact. Any nutritionist will tell you that the absolute best way to get the essential micronutrients, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and proteins your body needs to function properly and build mass is through the food you eat.
Whole foods are a better form of nutrients than supplements are. First Law of Thermodynamics, energy is not created or destroyed only transferred. So if you have a nice beautiful tomato the fresher you can get at that tomato the better it is for nutrient upload. Otherwise the nutrients are slowly being released to the world as a state of decay.
Step 5- Experiment with slow and steady diet changes
When new to working out, one of the more obvious first things we should assess is our diet. However, it’s important to not go too crazy here – after all, you are just starting out. Similar to the previous steps, there shouldn’t be any dramatic changes when you’re first starting to exercise.
Look at it like this, now that you’re working out consistently, that in itself is going to have a huge impact even if you don’t change a thing about your eating habits. However, it would be even better to slowly start making better food choices if you want to start feeling your best and seeing visible results.
One easy way to monitor your nutrition intake is to pay attention to things like the timing of your meals. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand that the body uses more resources at certain times of day and when it’s not using them directly it wants to store them for later in fat.
Also, when it comes to diet, quite often we can be allergic to something without exactly registering it. Try experimenting with cutting certain foods if you feel sluggish, sick, tired, or if you’re having trouble losing weight or working out. For example, try cutting something common like sugar out of your diet. How do you feel? How do you look? Not much change? Try to cut dairy and then wheat–experiment with it.
A lot of us have some sort of “allergy” that we’re unaware of that causes our body to hold onto certain things and not digest them as others do. Currently, I’m trying to epigenetically correlate my diet these days. Although this is working for me so far, most people choose to take smaller steps to a cleaner diet like cutting sugar, dairy, etc. before trying more complicated meal plans.
Key Takeaways and final advice
Out of all the advice I’ve shared with you today about fitness tips for beginners, the most important thing to remember when you’re starting out on your fitness goals is start off slowly and find an activity you really enjoy. Try a bunch of different activities to see what fits you best. The goal is to not make it miserable. It might be tempting to push yourself at first, but you’ll be glad you waited to gain your footing before upping the intensity during your workouts.
Find something you enjoy first, then ease into your dieting. From there, slowly add supplementation if needed. Once you put everything together: enjoyment, diet – and yes, even supplements – you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.
For those who feel more comfortable working out in a structured setting at first, try a workout program. If you give a workout program a chance, you will be hooked for life.
But guess what? It’s not having a beautiful body that hooks you in. It’s the way it helps your mind! I know I have a tendency to round everything back to industry topics, but the same can be said for business. If you don’t have a good strategy to deal with stress – like fitness for example – your business life will be so much harder, if not impossible. Working out can do wonders for your psyche and your ability to deal with stress.
Need more help getting started?
I am more than confident that everyone can find something enjoyable to do that gets them active. I love to help people train. I don’t do it for work and I never will.
If you are afraid to get out there and want someone to go with you, please feel free to reach out. If I’m in the area, I would love to help you start on your new fitness journey.
