How to start your fitness journey

So, you’re ready to start your fitness journey? You may be beginning from scratch, picking up an old hobby, or find yourself with all the gear and no idea. Whatever the reasons to begin your fitness journey, you’re here, and you may now realise getting started is the hardest part.

Everyone who has ever started their fitness journey has been through this initial stage. Maybe you’re feeling excited or possibly nervous? Getting to this stage is an achievement in itself. Read on to understand how to start your fitness journey.

Find your motivation

Perhaps you remember your PE teacher shouting at you to run faster at school or a personal trainer telling you to push harder when you know you’re at your limit – so-called motivation. While there’s nothing wrong with pushing yourself, in 2022 and beyond, we’re all about healthy motivation, listening to your body and mind and understanding the best way to start your fitness journey

Positive motivation can come from anywhere. There’s no magic ‘one-size fits all’ method for motivating yourself to start your fitness journey. It could come from your favourite fitness influencer. A brand new gym set that makes you feel super confident. Your new-found gym buddy who encourages you to achieve your best.

A goal for better mental wellbeing. Or simply a random sunny morning that makes you think, yeah, I’d like to go for a run today.

Set achievable goals

No matter if your goal is to complete a marathon, get to the gym at least twice a week or run up that long hill by your house without stopping, when you start your fitness journey, you should set goals that get you excited. Goals that make you want to get up an hour earlier, put on those yoga leggings and press play on your carefully crafted playlist.

There’s no point saying you’ll go to the gym every day or go for an hour run each morning when that’s not achievable or particularly sustainable for your current ability or lifestyle. We’re all different, after all. Unachievable or unsustainable goals can lead to burnout, injury, guilt, unhealthy mindsets and eventually quitting. If you're wondering what's the best thing to do when wondering how to start your fitness journey, this is it.

If you’re completely new to the world of fitness and goal setting seems somewhat of an overwhelming task, speaking to a professional coach or personal trainer is a great way to start your fitness journey. By listening and understanding your motivations and aspirations, they’ll help you set achievable goals that’ll push you to achieve your long-term goals in a healthy and positive way.

Spark your excitement

You wouldn’t keep cooking a meal you hate or wearing that outfit that makes you uncomfortable. So why keep up a fitness class or workout that you dread? Your fitness journey should fill you with excitement, and even though we all have those days where you just don’t want to get out of bed or drive to the gym, those are the moments you have to dive deep and remember why you started.

Find the fitness class, workout or gym circuit that you love, that makes you feel good. Running on the treadmill, HIT sessions or lifting weights – you’ll probably love them or hate them, but you won’t know unless you try.

Perhaps you’ll find your mojo at a dance class and commit to going weekly. Maybe you’ll discover you prefer evening workouts to early mornings. Search YouTube for 30 minute workouts that suit your music taste and commit to a set number of weekly sessions. From pop tunes and DnB to Disney classics and show tunes, there’s a YouTube workout for everyone. Enjoy the process of finding what you love when starting your fitness journey.

Engaging in healthy habits

As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you’re wondering how to start your fitness journey, begin by looking at your lifestyle. If you’re depriving your body of sleep or nutritious food, you will make your journey harder for yourself. Your body needs rest and nutrition to fuel your workouts and daily life.

But I just want to start my fitness journey, not change my lifestyle! These changes don’t have to be extreme. Small but significant amends to your daily life will help you continue your fitness journey in the long run. Switching off your phone at least 30 minutes before bed will settle your mind, helping you sleep. Adding protein and veg to your meals will sustain you for longer, letting you get the most from your fitness sessions. Engaging in mindfulness sessions will allow your mind to destress, not only benefiting your mental wellbeing, but allowing you to focus on your goals and motivations.

Before long, these new healthy lifestyle changes will become a habit and are the best ways to ensure success when you’re thinking of how to start your fitness journey.

Starting your fitness journey at the Glass House Retreat

How we feel about our fitness journey can be very personal, and we’re often our biggest critics. With a stay at the Glass House Retreat, you’ll be surrounded by a positive, healthy environment that nurtures your goals and growth.

Fuel your body with delicious plant-based meals and detox your mind with mindfulness sessions and breathwork classes. During the day, discover your new favourite workout by trying our range of fitness classes. From yoga and dance to cardio and HIIT, you’ll find something you love.

Prefer to workout solo? Our fully equipped gym has everything you need to start your fitness journey or perhaps a private PT session will ease any workout anxiety blocking your journey. Post-workout, our heated indoor pool and salt block sauna provide the ideal relaxing spaces to ease those achy muscles. A sports massage will also work wonders.