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Getting Started: New Year! New You!
Some people have a goal of “getting skinny” or to just have this “perfect” body they have in mind. To me you shouldn't have a goal body be your main focus, but instead have goal feelings or activities be the focus. Now what does that really mean? Well for me I wanted to stop feeling exhausted just by walking up the stairs in my home, I wanted to be more active without my knees bothering me due to my weight, and I also just wanted to feel happier with the way that I look in the mirror. I tried my best to not set an Idealized body image and say “I must look like this,” but instead focused on real actionable goals. And remember these goals don’t have to be rigid, they will be changing once you get a better idea of where you want to be!
I also want to make it clear, you do not have to have experience being physically active to get started later in life. I have not been active for the majority of my life, and it wasn’t really until the last two years that I had it as a high priority. So please recognize you can get started NOW.
Of course ideally we'd all want a great gym membership, an awesome personal trainer and a personal chef! Sadly those can be quite expensive and an obstacle for many! Don't fret! there are many free resources to get you started right now!
Here's the general method I use to add healthier routines in my life (my video discussing more in depth here). And remember this method can be applied to more than just your physical and mental health!
If I am starting fresh or getting back into things after a rough patch. I am going to start on the easiest mode I can. And to be honest after the holidays this is pretty much where I am at right now. Easy mode for me often starts at the basics. I will have 1 goal for consumption, and 1 goal for physical activity. Now this is where it may differ for you, but for me I am absolutely horrendous at consuming liquids so that is my first go to consumption goal. Making sure I get enough water each day. For my physical activity, I would likely set a goal for getting to the gym at least once that week and maybe toss in going on at least 1 walk for that week.
To some people this might sound insanely easy and really.... that's the point! You want it to be realistically achievable without an insane amount of stress, and when we're getting back up on the horse having the confidence boost of reaching your goal for the week is always a nice bit of momentum to help keep the ball rolling! Then if you do succeed for the week, and if you felt it was fairly easy, you add something new! Maybe add a goal for protein, veggie, or carb consumption. Or if you are trying to focus a bit more on the physical movement, maybe you add in another walk for the week or another weight lifting/gym session.
On the other hand if it did seem really hard that week or even if you did happen to fail, we want to make sure you fail gracefully. And what I mean by that is DO NOT add more goals. Either stick with where you were at the previous week, or maybe even roll it back to something easier. And really the biggest thing you need to remember in this case, is that you are still staying focused on bettering yourself… mistakes will happen.... make sure to kind to yourself when they do!
The great thing about this method is you are focused on the now, each week, rather than a big momentous end of a year (or even years) type of goal. When it's done in these bite size pieces, it is much more attainable and will help you slowly build up to a routine that works for you in the long term.
It's all a matter of reflecting on your own personal situation and thinking "what am I most likely to have success with."
As you move on throughout the weeks you won't always be adding new things, but instead maybe swapping or modifying based on how your interest and goals change. For example maybe you start off on a cardio kick and you are really great with walking and maybe even going to some cardio dance classes.... But you just want a little more strength-wise, so now you swap one of your walks with a weightlifting session or maybe you swap your cardio class with a lifting class. It isn’t always just adding more to each week or making it more complicated than the last, it really is just tweaking your routine to something that will keep you happy and get you where you'd like to be! On the other hand if something big does happen and you get completely kicked out of your routine, it’s always fine to start right back over from the beginning on easy mode.
All of us experience so many different things throughout life that makes it hard to keep focus on the things that we care about and keep us healthy. Remember to have a routine that allows for flexibility and to allow the curveballs of life to happen, and even if you do “fail” be kind to yourself and try again.
Stretching, Yoga, & Pilates
It's a great idea to stretch before working out, but depending on the complexity the stretch can even be the WORKOUT! Using your bodyweight in activities like yoga and Pilates can get pretty intense! You can always tone it down with some lighter stretching or beginner yoga depending on where you need to be. Being able to balance will help you avoid slips, trips, and falls- and having good core strength is all around so insanely helpful!
Weightlifting/Strength
Muscle IS SO UNDERRATED (okay maybe not for men because society is constantly telling you that you need to be crazy jacked) but... for women the opposite is often sought after. I feel like I constantly hear:
- "I just want to be skinny"
- "I don't want to get bulky"
- "I don't want to look manly"
and if you honestly feel like you relate to that sentiment, please! PLEASE! Take a step back and think about how you think about the following questions:
- if you want or already have children or grandchildren, do you want to be able to hold and carry them with ease?
- do you want to walk up the stairs in your home without feeling like you're already breaking a sweat and already out of breath by the time you get to the top?
- when you're at retirement age, do you want to be able to pick yourself up of the floor if you fall?
- Do you want to help reduce your chances of chronic disease in the future?
YOU NEED muscles for all of those! Strength training and being strong is not an inherently manly thing and people need to stop spewing that sentiment for the sake of women “needing” to appear a specific way based on unnecessary societal standards.
Personally I also realized once I got stronger things just felt so much easier. I know it might seem obvious, but even for something as simple as being in the kitchen felt so different. I remember my arms getting tired from cutting and stirring so quickly, and my feet and legs would get tired from standing for over an hour. Now what would have felt almost dreadful to do is so much easier. And even just getting up to make a meal feels like so much less of a chore!
On top of the already mentioned physical benefits, you also get a lot of mental benefits from weightlifting and strength training. I find reaching new weights so fulfilling and after a good workout I feel so accomplished. If you are a very anxious person, like myself, getting a good workout can be one of the best ways to help reduce your anxiety and stress level. You might not be able to tell, but I am a very reserved and introverted person. And even I ended up liking weight lifting so much, I have been teaching classes for the last 8 months. I honestly never thought I’d be able to say that. You never know what could happen.
Jeff Nippard
Very informative and science based channel to help you understand so many aspects about weightlifting and strength.
Full Body with Dumbbells
Links to a specific video for dumbbell focused weightlifting for those that might have dumbbells at home.
Bodyweight Exercise
Links to a specific video for body weight exercises.
Cardio at Home
Of course things like walking outside is great (definitely touch grass please), but sometimes either weather doesn't permit or you want to get you blood pumping just a little bit more than a leisure walk!
Cardio classes are some of my favorite classes to attend, and if you don't have a local gym to go to, below are some great YouTube videos that will get you started! I don't consider myself a good dancer at all, but I find just walking, or even just using a cardio machine so tedious and slow to get through. These types of cardio videos are actually fun and fly by (and boy can they get your blood pumping).
Stay Focused
You don't want to become obsessive over your health journey, but you definitely want to keep it on your mind and as a high priority.
If you are more of a reader, here are some recommendations that may help you stay focused:
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss
- Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
As an avid multitasker, I frequently have YouTube videos on in the background while I do other things. Below are some of my recommended creators that frequently post talking candidly about weight, lifestyle, routine, and health in an entertaining way. Having these people pop up in my feed really helped keep me stay more focused on my goals.
Food and Consumption
I want you to take a second and really check in with yourself :
- do you know what a serving of peanut butter looks like?
- What about a serving of potato chips?
- A serving of pasta?
- how about how many calories are in each of those serving?
If you can’t come close to correctly answering these types of questions for foods you might consume, you likely want to count calories for a couple days or weeks to better understand how much is in what you're eating. How would you expect yourself to eat in moderation if you don’t even know how much you're currently consuming? Here is a good calculator to get you started on a reasonable calorie estimate for you (TDEE Calculator). If you're also not really sure how much water you should be having, start here (I know I needed this....).
Later on you'll likely be wanting to hone in your macros (Especially protein if you're weight lifting). Get a ball park of where you should be for protein with a calculator like this.
Please know healthy food does not have to be gross, there are so so many delicious recipes out there that are not unseasoned chicken/broccoli/rice. Here are a few good starting points if depending on what you have.
Now go get started on your journey, even just the smallest step today can take you so far down the road. YOU GOT THIS!
