Beginner fitness motivation is for everyone because we all have to start somewhere. You may be someone needing encouragement on your fitness journey.
know where you are at
A good place to start is to really know where you are at. A realistic view of yourself, your history with fitness, and the reason why this is or has become important to you. I’ve had to be really honest with myself and it wasn’t so easy but it helped me to keep it real. Honesty is knowing where you are at present, not where you’ll be staying. When you look back in a week or two, or in a month, you’ll realize this.
start slowly
Once you have figured this out for yourself and you want to get started, go for it. Take it, easy friends, there is always more tomorrow or the next day. Be kind to yourself and your body, we want to see you get out of the door again, so go slow. Slow can mean different things to different people. Remember, this is your journey, run or walk your race.
overreach
Set goals, that is super important – it is what keeps you going. Build towards your goal. What I love to do is to dream about where I’d like to be or do in a year or six months. Then I break it down into bite-sized chunks. We all have to work and we have family commitments too and it is possible to do this, no matter what your life looks like.
You may want to run a marathon, but you’re a super busy mom with a couple of kids. The next while maybe a 5km race once or twice a year – go for it. The marathon can come later. Build those small habits now and your work and family will thank you in the long run.
keep going
Staying the course can sometimes, and let me tell you, will be difficult. Keep going. Keep building the routine and habit. I’ve had an operation that has totally prevented me from running for a 6 week period – I was allowed to walk, so that is what I did on my ‘running days’. It kept the habit and I got outside. I walked sometimes just around the block, but I kept ongoing.
If that is not possible and you cannot move or are not allowed to move, rest well. When the rest is over, get up and head out of the door. Take it slow, and build it up again. We’ve all been there and managed to push through, yes you can.
love it
If you have started something, started slowly and been consistent, and still, it is pulling you down. Reassess, know what you love, and do that. My husband walks, he tried running and hated it. My friend does regular pilates and she loves that. I tried a couple of half marathons and for now, I know they are not for me, I love triathlons and that is my thing for now. Whatever you choose, go for it. Love it and keep moving.
why
So, why should we move our bodies? Good question. One of the main reasons for me is that it helps me to clear my mind especially when I am feeling anxious or a little down and sometimes when I am feeling depressed too. My sleep definitely improves, and if you are a woman in her middle ages, this can be a real stress point and problem. I’m in my mid-fifties and this is not an issue for me.
the value to stay motivated in the beginning
When it gets tough or the novelty wears off then you need something to hold on to to get yourself out of the door. The more we use our muscles, the more they build – it is surprising how quickly our muscles waste away when we do not use them. No matter what your chosen form of exercise is, keep moving.
We also all need as much help as we can get to endure through a day, a week, or a month. Exercise of some sort really gets the blood flowing and helps you through the times when it is busy or tough going.
mix it up
This is where I have found it to be fun. Running for me can become super boring and not seeing any visible changes and then I found a sport that had 3 different activities! I tried the longer distances with running and plodded my way through 2 half marathons, that was super challenging but not my happiest space. Now I run, cycle, and swim and I am loving it.
put it on paper
What is most useful for me is to put it onto paper. What do I want to do and how can I do my best to get there. I plan it out. I know that life happens and it may not always go totally to schedule, hey we all know that is the case, right? But, I have found that if I do not have some kind of plan then I won’t get there anyway. I love the Garmin training plans and I use them all the time. There are so many options that range from beginner to the more advanced, so I think there is something for everyone.
add in a friend
There are days and then sometimes weeks when you just cannot get out of the door. I know this to be true for a family member, running alone for her is just no fun. I love running and training alone but I hate doing the races alone. Find a friend or a couple of friends, who will one, motivate you and two do it with you.
In most of the races that I do, I usually do it with friends and family who are far younger than me. That is no hindrance for us because each person is running their own race.
We also track and encourage each other on the Adidas running app. We are going after different goals and we have different abilities but it does not stop us from cheering one another on.
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