What I’ve Learned on my Fitness Journey (so far)

Fitness and I have always had a love/hate relationship. In the past, when I would work out, I saw the gym and working out as a punishment. I had to be miserable at the gym because I am not skinny enough or my stomach isn’t flat. The only time I would workout consistently in the past was when I was going somewhere where I would have to wear a bathing suit, or it was too hot to wear clothing that could hide what was underneath.

In 2021 I decided to try and change that mentality. I started consistently working out by letting myself enjoy the process and doing workouts that I didn’t feel like a punishment . But when I began to get in the mindset of constantly working out, becoming obsessive about hitting my step goals, and feeling pressured to close all three rings on my apple watch daily. I realized that my fitness journey came with its own set of challenges that I would need to overcome.

The scale isn’t always right.

Sometimes the scale can be the biggest enemy in your fitness journey. You feel as though you have made so much progress, and you are starting to feel better. Yet when you step on the scale, that number is not what you wanted to see. DO NOT GIVE UP. The scale doesn’t matter; it’s all about how you feel. Instead, mark your progress through pictures, as well as other non-scale victories.

Weights do not make you bulky.

I used to do cardio and cardio only. The weight section terrified me for many reasons. But a big one is that I thought I would gain all of this muscle, and I would look bulky, and my body would look weird. However, that’s a myth. There are many benefits to lifting weights, so many that it could be a separate blog post. But what I will say is that the best workouts are the ones that you enjoy doing.

You need to move throughout the day, not just when you workout.

When I first started taking my fitness journey seriously, I did not realize how important it is to be moving your body throughout the day and not just when you work out. That 30-minute workout is not going to be as impactful when you are sedentary for 8 hours. So instead, find little activities to do throughout the day to expend some of that energy. Do the dishes, walk up and down the stairs, make your bed. It’s surprising how those movements will add up.

You do not need to feel guilty about rest days.

Sometimes I used to think when I took rest days; I lost all my progress in one day. If I didn’t do at least one workout a day, I would gain all my weight back, which is false. Rest days are just as important as the days you work out. Those days help give your muscles time to recover and repair. If we constantly work out, it’s going to make us burn out a lot faster.

Be proud of yourself.

We are our own biggest critics, and it’s sometimes so hard to see the things we have accomplished. But, it is so important to be proud of the journeys that we’re on. So, whether it’s Day 1 or 1000, be proud that you’re getting your body moving and taking care of yourself.

Working out and fitness is hard. And there are sometimes more rest days than active days, and that’s okay. It’s why it’s called a journey, not a goal. So what are workouts that you enjoy doing? Or are there any workouts that you want to start doing?

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.

Jim Rohn

Thanks for reading!

Megan