3 things you need to know when you start working out

Have you ever experienced the following: you start a new activity, everything seems very well, you are motivated and maybe even achieve some results. You share your experience with your friends and you believe that you have found a way to workout and get results in a fun way. Then something happens and you stop doing it. Maybe you do not like the activity any longer, maybe you do not have time for it or maybe you have your own reasons for stopping.

And later the same happens again. Then you feel demotivated and it’s getting harder to start again new physical activities because you have had this inappropriate experience.  The more unsuccessful attempts the more bad results. Then the circle closes completely.  You do not want to workout any longer. You think about doing sport activities only in your head: it would be fun to try, but… and then a lot of BUTs appear. That’s how our brain deals with unsuccessful experiences. It remains frozen deep inside of us.

 We often hear how good it is to try something new. This is true for various areas of life, including sport as well. It’s a great thing to be able to dare try something new and expand our horizons. However, if we want to achieve certain results, we need to concentrate on only one activity. I think the secret of success is dedication to an activity and doing it consistently.

When I was looking for interesting workouts I tried a lot of different activities. Among them were some workouts recommended by others which I really didn’t like so I had a lot of unsuccessful attempts as well. But over time I realized that I can do more of the activities which I really like and not the ones that only bring results. For example I do not like going to gym but in general workouts in gym can give results. I like activities outdoors for example hiking, running, supping. It is fun and it helps me to stay active.

So one thing is staying active, another is when you want to achieve some results. In this case you need to find a fun way which will help you to stick to your workouts.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN STEPS?

Try new physical activities and find which you really like

It doesn’t matter if you had good experience or bad, just dare try something new. You never know how good you can feel before you try it. If you do not have your favorite activity yet, it is especially important to try something. For example new training in gym, running in a park or maybe yoga on the beach, you can also always find some great workouts online. The choice is very big and for all tastes. Once you have the activity that you like, you do not need any additional motivation and it’s much easier to do it. Even if you have your favorite physical activity, do not stop trying new ones.

Create your plan

No matter what the purpose is, either it is just to stay active or to get fit you need to have your plan. For example on which days you want to do your workouts, how many hours you will spend on it etc. One good tip: it’s best to plan your workouts before all other projects, only this way there will always be time for exercising. The best thing is to turn the whole plan into a habit and everything will be much easier.

Find your motive (why you like this activity)

When I ask people what do they do sport for, a lot of them say that it is the results. When they see improvement they want to exercise more. So if you want to stick to your workouts, it greatly helps to capture the results.  For some good motivation is competing with others, in this case apps where you can share your results and challenge others really work well. For me best motivation is good mood and health so if I feel better after workout and have a smile on my face that’s it, I have achieved my goal.  It motivates me to continue doing it. So find things which are important to you, which can give you a reason to train.

After my personal attempts, some research and talking to people I find out that these 3 things work best. I asked my friends and others why they workout and what motivates them. It’s very interesting to see how different we are. You must clearly know why you are doing it. Not because you saw an advertisement which promotes sport, not because your friend invited you, but because you and only you really know why you want this. I think the main thing is to concentrate on yourself and you will find all the answers. I believe then it will be easier to achieve results and stay fit.

To facilitate planning and measuring results I created a simple planner, which you can download for free: see banner below. So what is left is to find your favorite activity and a motive why you want to do this.

Good luck and I am waiting to hear about your experience!