The pandemic was either a blessing or a curse for a lot of people's fitness goals. Being required to stay at home either motivated you to do more of your own personal workouts, or gave you excuses to not work out at all, if you were accustomed to the gym.
If you developed a bit of a sedentary lifestyle, you may need some help getting back into the swing of things. If you never had a gym membership, this might be more of a challenge, especially if you are starting from scratch.
In this article, we'll share 5 tips for getting fitter and healthier in 2022.
1) Set realistic goals and start slowly.
The worst thing you can do when starting a new fitness regimen is pushing yourself too hard early on. Many people think "no pain, no gain", but this does you absolutely no favors if you're a beginner.
Start out by doing some light stretching, some warm-up exercises, and get the blood flowing to your feet before you start the actual exercise. Aim for about 10 minutes of exercise, and you can go for a walk, jog, or do a simple yoga exercise.
Your workouts should be fun, and they shouldn't feel like punishment. If you set realistic goals, and you slowly build on them, you'll soon be able to move on to harder workouts.
If you push yourself too hard as a beginner, you could end up injuring yourself or spending too much time recovering between workouts, which will set you back before you've even begun seeing results.
2) Surround yourself with supporters.
If you're a beginner, you need some people around you who can motivate you to push yourself. This is why a lot of people get a gym membership, to be surrounded by other people who are looking to get fitter.
But if you're not a very sociable person, or you prefer working out alone, you can always join an online community like Physeek.fit - you'll gain access to in-depth fitness knowledge, training plans, and advice from other members.
3) Don't compare yourself to others.
When you're starting out, it's natural to compare yourself to other people. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be as strong or as fit as the person next to you. But you should also try to be honest with yourself, and recognize that you're on your own journey.
Be aware that everyone's bodies are different, and while fitness plans are generally made as "one size fits all" recommendations, we all have our own unique build and capabilities.
Some people have more difficulty losing weight than others, due to a particular medical condition. The same is true for gaining weight and muscle. Be realistic about what you can do, and don't compare yourself to others. Focus on your own goals and achievements.
4) Use metrics to track your progress and develop goals.
When you start to see results in the mirror, it's easy to believe you're efficiently achieving your goals. But psychologically speaking, when we look in the mirror, we tend to focus on what we want to see - bigger arms, slimmer waist and stronger midsection - and not whether we’re achieving less than we actually can.
In order to optimize your results, you need to keep a check on your progress. A fitness app can help a lot with this, by recommending exact workouts, number of reps, and other targeted metrics.
Use online tools to track your progress, track your food intake, and learn about healthy eating and exercise plans. The more you understand about your own body, the more motivated you'll be to keep it healthy.
5) Work on your mental attitude.
Mental attitude is probably one of the most important factors when it comes to fitness. The mindset you have, the attitude you adopt, can make or break your progress. The key is to work on your positivity.
Learn to be kind to yourself, and realize that fitness is just a tool you can use to be the best you that you can be. If you can begin to take care of your body, there's a lot you can do to boost your confidence and sense of wellbeing.
