The basic mistake made by most people when they decide they want to get fit is to be too ambitious. Trying to become totall fit “all at once” is doomed to failure. You need to incorporate fitness into your life over time. As you start to add exercise into your daily routine, your body mind and spirit need to adjust. Fitness in smal steps means that you will not be overwhelmed by the changes in your life and decide to stop working on it.
The first thing that you need to do is start moving. If you havent been active in a while youll want to start by adding walking to your day. You need to walk for at least 30 minutes each day before you start to see changes in your fitness level. You may decide that you want to continue walking after youve become more fit, or you may decide that you want to start power walking or hiking so that you can start to increase your fitness level.
A good way to measure progress is to invest in a pedometer. You should be aiming towards 10,000 steps a day. But to do this you will also need to invest in a good pair of walking shoes, comfort is important. Sore feet will certainly lessen any desire to get fit using any form of exercise, not just walking.
In order to get used to a fitness routine, decide what you are going to do and do only that for the first couple of weeks. This gives your body time to adjust. Measure the distance you walk and the time that it takes and write this down. Remember we are aiming at 30 minutes a day to start with. This will allow you to measure your progress. After you have walked for the same time and distance for two weeks, whether this is 30 minutes or 10 minutes, then add 5 minutes of additional walking each week. Never try to go to far too fast. You do not want to injure yourself by doing more than your body is ready for.
Use other ways to get some exercise into your life. Park the car a little distance from your destination and walk the rest of the way. Leave your car at home and walk to the mall. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Start by walking up one flight and taking the elevator the rest of the way. The aim is to get movement into you life and doing that will help you reach your fitness goal.
It will take a couple of months, but after incorporating 30 minutes of walking every day, and taking other small steps to get movement into your life you will start to see a measurable change in your fitness level. You will find that you feel better, sleep better and have more energy. You will also feel better about yourself because these steps prove to you that you value yourself.
