If you are a girl in your twenties, it is likely that gym girls and diet culture run rampant on your TikTok and Instagram reels feeds these days. When I first started trying to incorporate the gym into my lifestyle a few years ago, I found it hard to cut through all the noise. Here, I am sharing the mistakes I made so you don’t have to do the same.
You don’t need to spend two hours in the gym
When I first started working out, I was spending about two hours in the gym doing a million different exercises every time I went. I felt the need to do a bunch of different exercises for one muscle group just to be sure I was hitting all the right muscles, but I was just overcomplicating my routine when I didn’t have to. It’s hard to know which exercises are the most optimal when gym influencers tell you a new exercise you need to try every week. When first starting out in the gym, it’s okay to switch up your exercises on a regular basis just so you can find what works best for you. However, you should work towards settling on about four exercises for each muscle group you want to work, giving you a quick and effective workout that isn’t overcomplicated.
Find workouts that you enjoy
For far too long, I was forcing myself to lift weights four to five times a week, even though I hated it, because that is all I saw gym influencers doing online. I would repeat this cycle of staying consistent for a maximum of two weeks, then falling off for another few weeks just to pick the same routine back up again. It’s called a fitness journey because it is something that becomes integrated into your lifestyle; something that you continue to work towards or maintain for life. In order for that to happen, you need to find workouts that you enjoy. Now, I compromise with myself, and strength train a couple days a week and then do Pilates or fun dance cardio workouts a couple more days a week. That way, I have built a routine that is sustainable because I enjoy my workouts.
Eating Healthy is more balance than discipline
When I began to eat healthier, I would try to force a diet that was too restrictive, and then I would always end up caving and buying the chips or ice cream I don’t need or ordering takeout. What changed my perspective was this method where you allow yourself to indulge in the less healthy things you enjoy, but compromise by adding something to your meal or snack that makes it more balanced. For example, if you’re craving pizza. Still eat the pizza but consider adding a side salad with it. By focusing on what you can add and not what you need to take away, healthy and balanced eating becomes a lot simpler. Just like with working out, your diet should be enjoyable too if you hope to maintain it for life. No food is bad; it is just a matter of balance.
