Starting a gym workout can be a daunting experience, but with these four tips, you can make your fitness journey more enjoyable and achievable.
Tip #1: Create a workout playlist
Listening to music has many benefits, with some studies indicating that music influences muscle activation and regulates your heart rate. Not only does the tempo of music affect our physical performance, but music also has a significant impact on our mood, so creating a good gym playlist should be a fundamental place to start your fitness journey. Start by making different playlists for the types of workouts you plan on doing. For example, list fast paced music if performing a HIIT workout rather than adding in slow songs.
Tip #2: Plan enjoyable workouts
Standing in the gym surrounded by heavy weights and unfamiliar machines can be overwhelming, but don’t let that stop you from reaching your fitness goals. Make a plan before you go to the gym. Start by deciding the different parts of the body that you want to target, watch some tutorials and write down a few pointers in the notes App of your phone. That way you can remind yourself how to do a particular exericse when you're in the gym. YouTube and TikTok are excellent resources for exercise tutorials and you can even copy and paste the link from the exercise demo to your notes to remind you. Don’t overcomplicate it for yourself; start simple with exercises that look enjoyable.
Tip #3: Pre and post-workout meals
Fueling your body with the appropriate nutrients is essential to feeling energised and motivated throughout your fitness journey. Make sure you’re eating a high-carb snack before your workout to fuel your body, and a high-protein meal after your workout to aid in muscle recovery. If you need some inspiration, check out my other blog post on pre and post-workout meals for some tasty meal ideas.
Tip #4: Accountability
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of an accountability buddy. This person could be a friend, a family member or you might even consider paying for a professional Personal Trainer or Coach to help you keep on track and hold you accountable to your goals. At the end of the day, remind yourself of your objective, think about what you hope to achieve and how you will feel when you have hit your target. There are millions of people around the world who were recently in your shoes and are now reaching their fitness goals a mere few weeks laters. Next month that could be you, just make a plan and believe in yourself.