When it comes to being healthy, it can be quite confusing where to start. If you’ve got health/fitness goals that are not a high priority right now, but you would like to start somewhere, here are some tips to get you started:
-Get a gym membership;
-There should be machines that allow you to have a full-body resistance training workout (Machines = reduced likelihood of injury);
-Do between 3-4 sets on each machine;
-12-15 reps for each set (if the weight is too heavy, you won’t be capable of doing 12 reps. If it’s too light you’ll be able to do more than 15);
-Rest no longer than 1 minute and 30 secs in between each set;
-Get a good’s night’s rest (look up REM sleep and how to get more of it a night);
-Work out no more than 4-5 days a week. If you’re training only 3 days a week be sure that you don’t take more than a 48 hrs break spent not training. On days you’re not interested in working out, feel free to go in and do light 20 mins elliptical workout;
-Start measuring what you’re eating (ie. portion sizes or calorie intake. A really good app to download for free on your phone is MyFitness Pal; it can assist in caloric intake and daily macros);
-The 3 nutritional macro-nutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, fats. Please be sure to have at least 1 meal per day with all 3;
-Be sure to stay hydrated with water throughout the day (2.7- 3.7 liters as per Canadian food guide);
-Be sure to keep the stress levels down! You’ve got this!
Some consistency tips:
Routine
Working out around the same day/time each week (exercise), preparing 60% of food for the week yourself on the same day each week (nutrition), sleeping/waking up around the same time every night (sleep), focus on things that grow you as an individual more often, that can elicit gratitude and happiness for yourself overall (spirit/stress).
Consistency
Focus on your goals and why they are important to you (want). From there, everything you do each day to achieve them becomes a need. We tend to brush our teeth every day because we feel the need to have great oral hygiene, not because we have fun brushing our teeth (then again its 2020, you never know).
Finance and Time
Paying for a gym membership, spending time doing daily tasks in your lifestyle necessary to get you the results you want, etc, it should be a sacrifice. You shouldn’t have to add to your time or use (or wait for) extra money to be spent on where you deserve to be. They should be a replacement of some sort. Be prepared to take small steps to cut things out from your lifestyle that aren’t helping you achieve your ultimate goals to be replaced with things that will (eg. watching TV, eating take out/fats food every day, etc.).
Again, this advice is for anyone who wants to get started and wants to start seeing some form of results they can stick to long term (goals are less than 10/10 important). The hardest part of being healthy is having a consistent plan to stick to. If you can stick to this, you’ve won half the battle! When you do happen to have goals that you need to attain now and that are a high priority to you, and you can’t seem to commit to this suggested program for more than 1 month, and you still have unanswered questions. You owe it to yourself! Please contact your nearest health/fitness professional asap!
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If you or anyone else that you care for is struggling to reach where they deserve to be, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
David The HealthNESS Coach
