Where Do I Get Started with My Fitness Journey?
Most people begin their fitness journey with the intention of weight loss and building some lean muscle. As a personal trainer, it's very exciting seeing people take their first steps towards being the best version of themselves. While there is a ton of information on the internet steering people to try detox teas and fad diets, I wanted to highlight easy steps for people who are eager to get started on their fitness journey in a sustainable manner that promotes longevity. So where do we begin?
We're going to get started by getting comfortable with the idea of tracking our journey. When the idea of tracking comes up most people imagine counting macros and calorie counting. Those are amazing tools, however they do complicate getting started and could potentially be discouraging.
Let's instead track how well we are putting together our plate. Our plate should be 50% fruits and vegetables, 25% protein and the last 25% carbohydrates. These are some easy ratios to get started with and we're going to track two of them for the plate we're putting together. We want half of our plate to be occupied by fruits and vegetables that are non-starchy. Fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense and lower in calories. By having fruits and vegetables occupy 50% of our plate, we are ensuring that we get sufficient vitamins and minerals, but also having half of our plate be less calorie dense. We will also be tracking the lean protein on our plate which makes up 25% of our plate. Having protein essentially reduces the hungry hormone, thereby leading to a feeling of satiety. This is important because we want our meals to leave us satiated for 4 to 6 hours after consuming them. Additionally proteins assist with muscle repair and development as we are working out. Lastly, carbohydrates make up the remaining 25% of the plate and while we will not be using it as a measurement point, we want it to be a whole grain. And finally, we will be tracking what's in our cup. Liquid calories from alcohol, soda and juices add up very quickly. By prioritizing zero calorie drinks we will be removing calories that don't result in feeling full. Overall, these three points of tracking will help us make meals that are balanced and keep us satiated. Our intention is to see how many times in a day and in a week we are able to meet these goals with every meal.
50% vegetables and fruits
25% lean protein
0 calorie beverages
Now that we have a game plan for our nutritional goals, let's tackle exercise. Exercise and fitness are pretty synonymous for most people and when many people get started they look for intense workouts that kick their butts and leave them feeling sore for days at a time. In these first weeks I want you to focus on an exercise routine that allows you to re-engage with activity more frequently so that our total movement frequency is higher. We are going to embrace the idea that there is a way to move everyday.
As we are getting started with our wellness journey we are going to track physical activity with a different standard by dividing movement into two parts to develop our exercise routine; the first being our deliberate exercise time used to develop movement skills and strength and the second being recreational activity. The deliberate exercise portion can be done in either a fitness facility or a home gym. Our plan is to pick four to six exercises per workout that hit large muscle groups like the back, the legs or the core. These will be done twice per week for a total of eight to twelve different exercises. We don't want this to be excessive or even take a long time, but rather we want to be confident that this is something to which we can comfortably commit. Here is an example of what the two days could look like in home setting and gym setting:
Example of Home Workout:
Example of Gym Workout
These are two examples of what your deliberate exercise could look like. You'll want to pick appropriate exercises for you. This may be where a trainer could come in handy, but the idea is to pick movements that you can execute with some confidence. I would rather you pick movements that you are comfortable with. If you're able to do push-ups, by all means add them in, if you can plank for a minute, let's put it in the mix and if you can squat more than body weight, squat away amigo! Our desired result is to practice these movements for a month at a time consistently so that we can see ourselves get better and more proficient. For instance, if you find yourself not being challenged by your previous rep range you can add five more reps. Or if you notice you're finishing your workout more quickly you can always add an additional set to increase the work without switching your exercises. The idea is that we are getting better at these movements as we practice them.
The second part of the movement plan is recreational movement. This doesn't have to be a workout per se and I hope it could be fun. On these days that we're not doing our deliberate workout we should get up and move for at least 30 minutes. This could be throwing a frisbee around with the kids, hopping on a recumbent bike just to get sweaty or even a post-dinner walk with your furry friend. We want to get moving and stay moving.
Getting started does not have to be hard. Keep it simple and find a place where you know you can meet the nutritional and exercise goals consistently. How can we get started today?