A wise man once said, the hardest part of a journey is taking the first step. And this is mostly true for certain life experiences, the fitness journey included. How often is it that we tell ourselves that the time is now, and make our first move by scouring the online for pretty/cool athletic wear and gear, only to falter even before your purchases reach you. Trust me, I’ve been there. It speaks for itself when my daily go to ‘pyjamas’ readily doubles up as appropriate gym wear. It was certainly not my best moment, but I managed to break out of the cycle of “potato couching” and kick-start my fitness journey. And if a serial couch surfer like me can do it, what is holding you back? So now, allow the CFU Team to list a few points to better ready you to taking that elusive first step.
- ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT FITNESS IS NOT DAUNTING
When I mention CrossFit to people, half of them do not know CrossFit. The other half mutters Murph under their breath. I blame the image big gym companies paint when advertising fitness. Step into any gym and you will be brought back to reality, where everyday Joes like me are struggling to do basic things such as jump rope. Even the most seasoned athlete starts from the ground up, so there is no shame in being a beginner.
- TAKE BABY STEPS
Start small. A 30 minute light walk/jog in the nearby park, or a few sets of bodyweight workouts such as Push Ups, Sit Ups and Air Squats in the comfort of your own home. The key thing is to get some exercise in and start gradually build up.
- BREAK THINGS UP
Attempting a tough workout with friends and got thrown into the deep end? Try breaking it into smaller sets. The look of 300 Air Squats as compared to 20 sets of 15 Air Squats has a contrasting outlook.
Even if you find Air Squats too difficult, you can scale it to a daily movement such as getting up from a chair. Remember that every exercise can be scaled and broken up into sets.
- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Tuesdays are leg days, but I’ve just pulled at all-nighter at the office the day before and I’m not feeling too well. What do I do? Listen to your body, it knows you best. Adhering strictly is commendable, but no one can factor in sick days or events of emergency. Be flexible enough to switch things up.
- MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS
Be it keeping track of your 2.4km run timings over a period, or something as easy as taking a daily picture, make sure to keep a progress of some sort. That way, you may be pleasantly surprised to see how you’ve come along. Or you may notice that your current plan needs fine tuning. Either way, monitoring your own progress allows you to see where you stand towards reaching your goals.
The main takeaway is to start small and build consistency. Just with life, setbacks are part are parcel. Just remember to pick yourself up and soldier on. Every step, however small it is, is still a step forward.
TRAIN WITH US!