This blog post was written by Trevor Conrod, Fitness Coach at Nivati. You can see more of their content on the Nivati platform and on the Nivati blog. If you want to learn more about Nivati, click here.
Avoid the Overwhelm
Starting your fitness journey can be overwhelming. There are often many questions to be answered and many different answers to those questions. Our video series in the Nivati platform, "Road To A Healthy You," was designed to help answer some of those questions without overloading you with any information you don't need. In this article, we will be going over getting started with your workouts, and how to do so healthily.
How to Start Working Out at Home
There's often a misconception that all the biggest and best equipment is needed to see the best results. But if we've been able to prove one thing with our catalog of on-demand workouts, it's that the only thing you need to get started with working out at home is you!
Adding some dumbbells to your workout mix can add variety to your strength training and help spice up your workouts. But don't let a lack of equipment stop you from getting started. I can assure you that a workout without equipment can be just as effective as a workout with it.
The best thing about on-demand fitness is that you can adapt the workout to your fitness ability in the comfort of your home. Stepping foot in a gym for the first time can be intimidating, especially if you are alone. Workouts that provide modifications, and help you learn the correct form while still giving you practical training, are a great way to begin an exercise program at home.
What About Nutrition?
Now that you've learned a little more about how to start an exercise routine at home, let's cover an equally important topic to get you on the road to a healthy you.
That topic is nutrition.
There's a saying often thrown around: "You can't outwork a bad diet." I'm here to give you a heads-up. That saying is true.
Think of exercising as one half of your healthy pie and nutrition as the other. Your goal to a healthy you is to complete the pie of healthy habits with exercise and healthy eating habits. Understand that your new habits, training, and nutrition are only as sustainable as you make them. And should be added to at a slow and realistic pace. If you have never worked out or need work in the nutrition department, drastically changing these habits is a recipe for disaster and is what we call "yo-yo dieting."
Weight cycling, or yo-yo dieting, is the process in which a person repeatedly loses and gains weight. Yo-yo dieting is dangerous and may even lead to future disease risks. Yo-yo dieting often occurs when someone starts a dramatic, and often insatiable, diet. While initial weight loss results may show, this diet is not sustainable for the long term. This person reverts to old habits and not only gains the weight back but, in some cases, gains additional weight.
When aiming to alter your nutritional habits, think of it as less of a diet (short-term change) and more of a lifestyle change. If you can not sustain your changes, dial things back for your health.
Bettering your nutritional habits requires you to keep many aspects in mind. And just like we talked about earlier, with starting an exercise routine at home, things can get overwhelming. There are calories, labels, intake, and more. Here is a fantastic article on how you can find time to start cooking some healthy meals. When you surround yourself with better options, you will most often go for those.
Healthy Mindset, Healthy Lifestyle
Altering your habits and changing your lifestyle for the better is no easy feat. It requires continued motivation and dedication. One bad day can lead them back down the spiral of those poor habits they had worked so hard to change. So, where did they go wrong? Why would their seeming perfect journey towards a healthy lifestyle take such a 180 spin?
Mindset.
Keeping your mindset in check throughout your entire journey is a must. I know, much easier said than done. Telling someone to change how to think or, "Don't think like that anymore!" is not the most productive way to go about things. Understanding the most common shortfalls and self-destructive mindsets can help you handle them and work past them in the future, should they present themselves.
Perfection is something that is chased but never attained. Not a single thing in life is perfect. So please, do not expect your journey to be perfect, either. There will be days when you wake up feeling like the most motivated person in the world, ready to accomplish your goals and take the day on with might! But other days, you may feel like you can't go for another hour. The week is dragging, and you feel like your results haven't been showing as they should be. Not only is that normal, but we expect it!
I want you to expect setbacks. Be prepared for these challenging days but remember that they are entirely normal. It's essential to stay on the path you set out towards and remember why you started. Just because we woke up on the wrong side of the bed one day doesn't mean the day has to end poorly. And just because a week may not be going to plan doesn't mean you can't start to turn that around either.
Commit to yourself. When you think that you can't keep going or that maybe this new healthy you isn't worth it, think about why you started. Be honest with yourself and recognize if your goals need to be adjusted. Of course, making changes along the way is all part of the fun! But a commitment to stay on the path is something only you can hold yourself accountable.
Continuing Your New Lifestyle
New habits, new challenges, and new results. You are on the path to a more healthy you. But what's next?
Let's look at three quick tips you can implement into your newly achieved healthy lifestyle to keep those results coming.
As we discussed, remember that your new habits should be implemented slowly and realistically. Trying to accomplish everything all at once is not the goal here! Slow, steady, and sustainable progress is the goal when trying to start an exercise program at home.
Partner Up
You've been training at home for a while now but feel unmotivated to start that next workout. That's where a partner can shake things up. Along with a motivation boost, grabbing a friend, family member, or spouse to work out with can help keep you consistent with your exercise routine. Working out with a partner, either with online workouts or in a group fitness setting, becomes less about showing up for yourself and more about showing up for each other.
Start a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Muscle repair, energy boosts, and a clear mind are just a few of the incredible benefits a healthy sleep schedule can have on you. We've all been there. We say we will get to bed early, and then the hours start scrolling by as we keep scrolling the gram'. It's not easy.
These days TV shows, social media apps, and movies are designed to keep you drawn in and hooked for as long as possible. And after a long day at work, what will a half hour more of relaxation do? Sleep can wait, right?
Not getting enough sleep can directly cause a weight loss plateau. Not only are your muscles unable to repair themselves without enough sleep, but not getting enough sleep can also directly affect your appetite in negative ways. Beyond just the weight loss impacts, a lack of sleep can lead to an increased risk for high blood pressure and diabetes.
Drink, Drink, Drink
Now I know what you think: "You're telling me I can drink as much as I want!". But hold your excitement because I don't mean drinking from your neighborhood bar. We are talking about good ole fashioned H2O. When adding more activity to your daily routine (through exercise), increasing your water intake will pair hand in hand. Drinking more water can aid in proper hydration, easing muscle cramps, and improving tiredness. When you have the option, try to avoid highly carbonated and sugary drinks, as these will not properly hydrate the body as well as water.
The Bottom Line
The road to a healthy you is an exciting one! Your body is capable of tremendous change, and you are the driving force. Start with one change today, and slowly build up as you get more comfortable with the habits. This journey will last a lifetime, not just a few months, so don't get down on yourself if you don't see results immediately. Instead, remember your goal, commit to yourself, stay on the path, and you will be on your way to a healthier you.
For more information on this topic, check out this video.
If back pain has been holding you back from your at-home workout routine, check out this blog post on overcoming back pain.
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