The new year is right around the corner, which means it’s the ideal time to start thinking about what you’d like to accomplish in the coming year. Most people have some sort of personal fitness goal on their resolution list, so you’re certainly not alone. Your goals are absolutely achievable! Why not set yourself up for success by signing up for personalized fitness coaching?
Personalized fitness coaching isn’t just for athletes; a coach can also be extremely helpful if you’re just beginning your journey and trying to figure out how to start a workout routine that’s best for your body and interests. Here are the Prevail fitness Tacoma team’s five tips for achieving your New Year’s fitness goals.
1. Fuel your body appropriately.
There are a lot of fad diets that you can find on the Internet, and most of them aren’t designed for the long haul. Carbs aren’t bad and limiting your caloric intake too much can actually be detrimental to your health and your progress. When you’re doing extraneous workouts, make sure you’re fueling your body appropriately. Focus on lean protein, whole grains and vegetables. It can be helpful to get a fitness tracker to better understand how many calories you’re burning, so that you can plan your meals accordingly. Also, remember that moderation is often the key to success. Eating food that you enjoy will ensure that you can actually maintain your fitness and nutrition goals.
2. Don’t worry about how to start a workout routine, just show up.
The first step is showing up for yourself. Sometimes the hardest part of your workout is getting to the gym, showing up to your first personalized fitness coaching session, or finding your spot in class. Once you’ve arrived, the hard part is over. If you’re wondering how to start a workout routine, make a weekly schedule for your workouts and then stick to it. Showing up is the greatest gift you can give yourself and helps you build a sense of routine.
3. Find a workout that you love.
If your workout feels like a punishment, you’re not going to be able to stick to it. Find a type of exercise that you actually enjoy. Working out can be fun! A personalized fitness coach can build you a routine around the types of fitness you actually enjoy. If you like kickboxing, your regular routine can incorporate those moves. If you’ve always loved dancing, go to a dance workout class and burn off some steam while elevating your heart rate. You’ll still want to incorporate some kind of weight training in order to see the progress you want, but you don’t have to be miserable while doing it. Find what works for you.
4. Create reasonable goals.
You can have an overarching fitness goal, like the number of inches you’d like to lose off of your waist, but having smaller goals along the way will help you continue to feel motivated. A commitment to lifelong fitness takes time and encouragement, so give yourself that time when you’re setting your goals. You’re not going to lose a hundred pounds in four weeks. That would be scary if you did! Allow your body to make incremental progress.
5. Don’t shy away from personalized fitness coaching.
One of the best ways to reach your fitness goals is by having someone to encourage you and keep you accountable even when the journey gets difficult. That’s a kind of stability that personalized fitness coaching can provide. Prevail coaches will help you find a schedule that you’re able to stick with, give you exercises that you can do not only with them, but also on your own time, and help you identify how you can take your workout up a notch when it’s time.
Your coach will build you up and teach you proper techniques, to help you prevent injury and speed up your recovery. Even if you’re brand new to working out, there’s no need to feel self-conscious. The point of personalized fitness coaching is to encourage you on your journey, not judge you.
During your New Year’s fitness journey, take time to celebrate the small successes. Seeing your goals play out requires patience. If you’re putting the work in, you’ll see the progress. If you’re looking to achieve your New Year’s fitness goals and create better habits we invite you to connect with our Prevail coaches.
