That New Fitness Routine

As part of my series on New Year's resolutions, particularly the number one and two choices which deal with fitness and weight loss, here are some tips to help a person have some success with achieving those goals.

Of course, just like anything else, the toughest part of getting fit is getting started. Do you join a gym or buy a piece of fitness equipment and work out at home? And figuring out what sort of routine you are going to do is also a bit of a task, especially if you've never been one to hang out at the gym or be involved in any sort of sport or training.

One of the things I like to point out to anyone who is just getting started is that you didn't get out of shape overnight, so getting back into good physical condition is going to take a bit of time. That, and some persistence and consistency. 

Which is why the philosophy outlined in my post "S.M.A.R.T." may be a good starting point in it's own right. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely are the keys to developing a strategy that will give you successes to help motivate you to achieve even more as you progress.

I think back on my own quest to get fitter and think it's a fine example of just how some small steps taken soon add up to some big leaps and and a fitness level of which I am pretty proud of to this day.

The original plan was to do something simple and do it every day. The first day was just a little warm up and stretch, followed by 5 push-ups and 5 sit-ups, and nothing more. Seems simple enough and it went well, though not as easy as originally thought. I was in decent enough shape and did some physical work with my job, plus had always been active, but evidently I suffered a few delusions about my real fitness level.

Day two came and not only was 5 push-ups a total strain, you could forget about 5 sit-ups!! My abs were so sore that one measly sit-up was all that could be done and to say the least I felt quite deflated! But, as mentioned, the other keys to success was going to be persistence and consistency, so back at it on day three! And, lo and behold, 5 push-ups and 5 sit-ups done, still a bit of a strain but done none the less. Day four, five, six and seven and there went a week of doing the same warm-up and exercises, every morning, before having breakfast and heading off to work.

Not only was the accomplishment mentally satisfying but the tightness and muscle aches from the physical exercise actually felt somewhat invigorating. 

Better to be achy and sore from working out than from sitting around doing nothing! 

As the weeks went by and more push-ups and sit-ups were added, the better I felt. Riding my bike back and forth to work seemed a logical next step, so that helped the cardio immensely. 

Though I do so many other things these days, that little morning routine is still something revisited on a regular basis, albeit a much longer process, with a longer warm-up and stretch followed by 100 push-ups and sit-ups. 

Doing a bit of something every day and adding to it as your strength and endurance builds has certainly worked for me, so maybe you too?