How to start your fitness journey: Mission kick-start!

In this article you will find out how to start your fitness journey. A huge chunk of our time has been spent indoors over the past few months, with a bag of chips on our stomach and the TV remote gripped tightly in our hand. Some of us can now roam free on the streets, but both the trapped and the unshackled have lost their fitness and are looking for tips to rediscover their active ways. Here are the best ways to get back on track to hitting your fitness goals and actually have fun while doing it.

Start Out Slow:

You may see people doing hundreds of push-ups followed by a 20-kilometer run, but that is not where you are yet. It is important to start out slow to accustom your body to the change in routine and also prevent the risk of injury.

Do not feel demotivated because you cannot do more than five pull-ups. Becoming good at anything requires time and I believe that your pursuit of good health more than justifies a substantial investment of time from your side.

Consistency is the real key though. You may start out slow, but you cannot stop at any cost. A break leads to a loss of momentum and it becomes much harder to start again. Making a routine/timetable is a great way to go about this, so you know exactly when you have to exercise.

Here are some great articles to read:

1. How to set smart goals

2. How to make a time-table

3. How to be better at time management

Mental Health matters too

Tim S. Grover, the author of ‘Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable’ said “train your mind and your body will follow”. There are two aspects to this: strengthening your mind and caring for it. These two heavily rely on each other.

i] Strengthening your Mind

You need to slowly push yourself to your best, whenever you play or exercise to maximize your gains and toughen your mind, so your body can do more. This book gives you great insight into the mentality of top athletes. You can even apply the book’s tips to whatever area of life you want to excel in (such as academics), as it focuses on the competitive mindset you require.

ii] Caring for Your Mind

Take time to ease your mind in order to balance your work with satisfaction. Here are some of the things I do to calm my mind:

• Playing an instrument.
• Stimulating my mind through reading to keep my grey matter sharp.
• Talking to a close friend and socializing in general to get any heavy feelings of your chest.

Nutrition:

What you eat matters! Most people ignore the basics. Cut down on sweets with added sugars and oily snacks with trans fats. Everyone already knows what they need to do, but they just cannot resist their temptations. It is okay to have what you enjoy every once in a while, but having a balanced diet on most days is very important.

You should be eating your vegetables, fruits and proteins without hesitation. It may cause you to grimace, but all these items fuel your body to stay fresh throughout the day and perform at its optimum. You may immediately want to jump to supplements and protein shakes, but know that it is a balanced diet that really makes the biggest difference. When in doubt consult a nutritionist for individual-specific plans.

Do what you Love:

Working out at the gym is one way to stay fit, but it can get boring very quickly. You can use sports that you enjoy to maintain your exercise regiment as well. After all, playing football with your friends is much more enjoyable than aimlessly staring at the treadmill’s little counter, half-heartedly watching the digits go up. Gym sessions can be used to build strength and work towards specific fitness goals, such as toning your muscles.

You can however build endurance and strength through team sports like basketball and football, or by simply taking a nice dip in your pool (unless your pool is just an icy puddle of terror like mine). It does not matter what you do, as long as you are off your couch and out and about. Keep in mind that playing these sports should not be a detriment to your studies, but a way to alleviate anxiety, improve your health and teach you how to manage your time.

We have twenty-four hours in a day and upon closer inspection you will find that the two hours you spend binge-watching your favorite Netflix show would be better spent out on the field.

Mission Kick-start

As a fitness enthusiast, I have decided to launch Mission Kick-start in my neighborhood. What is Mission Kick-start? I have planned an initiative to bring together my community through weekly fitness sessions that include different types of sports.

I see that a majority of the young kids in my society are reluctant to leave their homes with many opting to use their phones even when downstairs. I believe an organized environment will bring all sorts of different individuals together to make our community more tightly knit, while also making people more health conscious. I have planned minimalistic drills such as the one below to make the best use of the limited space and resources available.

Explanation: In the small 14m by 15m space there will be two teams of five. There will be one ball, which will be kept by the catchers. The catchers will throw the ball among themselves with no player being allowed to run with the ball for more than two steps. The aim is for the catchers to catch the runners by touching the ball against their backs. The runners will try to run away and turn their backs, as the catchers circulate the ball to get to each runner one by one.

The drill obviously requires some work and tweaking to make it a success, such as coordinating with participants to wear different colored bibs to differentiate between the teams. This drill may be unsuitable for your community, as I have designed it keeping in mind the athletic ability and preferences of my peers. My hope is that my initiative inspires you to create a similar model in your neighborhood according to what your peers enjoy.

Take Action!

Make a healthy change today and commit to improving your mind and your body. Work on yourself, but if you have the means, also try to replicate Mission Kick-start in your community, so that all your friends can be motivated to get fit together. Our world is changing, but our well-being is still the most important constant. What are you waiting for then? Kick-start your fitness today!