Embarking on a fitness journey is a powerful way to enhance not just your physical health, but your mental and emotional well-being too. Whether you’re an experienced athlete or stepping into the gym for the first time, the path to fitness is a deeply personal and transformative journey. I’ll also tell you about my experience in my fitness journey at the end of this article!
Your journey begins with understanding and embracing three simple steps:
- Setting realistic fitness goals
- Balancing the basics of nutrition and fitness
- Incorporating fitness into your daily routine
Let’s dive into these steps to help you start on the right foot!
1) arranging realistic fitness goals
The first step in your fitness journey is to set achievable goals. This is crucial because setting goals too high can lead to disappointment, while too low may not push you enough!
Start by asking yourself: What do you want to achieve through your fitness journey? Do you want to improve your endurance? Gain strength? Feel more energized?
Whatever your goal, ensure it’s specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
- Be Specific: Instead of saying, “I want to be more fit,” instead, aim for a specific target, such as running a 5K or being able to do 20 push-ups in a row.
- Measure Your Progress: Keep a fitness diary or use an app to track your progress. Seeing improvements, no matter how small, can be incredibly motivating.
- Set Attainable Goals: If you’re new to fitness, don’t aim to run a marathon in a month. Start with shorter distances and gradually increase your goal. The same goes for strength training – you can’t expect to be able to lift 200 lbs with no experience!
- Make it Relevant: Choose goals that matter to you personally, not just because they seem popular or someone else is doing them. If you follow the media for what’s trending, you’ll be on a continuous chase because trends are always changing. Find what you care about, exclusive to what the media is promoting.
- Time-Bound: Give yourself a realistic timeline to achieve your goals. It adds urgency and helps in planning your workouts.
2) THE BASICS OF NUTRITION AND FITNESS
Nutrition and fitness go hand in hand. Understanding the basics of both is like having a map for your journey—it guides your choices and helps you navigate challenges.
Nutrition
A balanced diet is essential for fueling your body and mind. Focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Hydration is also crucial, so drink plenty of water throughout the day. Remember though, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, so it’s about finding what works best for you!
Depending on your goal, your diet will look somewhat different. Be sure to look up diet plans depending on your goals, and adjust them as needed to best suit you.
Fitness
There are different ways to achieve your goal. Exercises vary from cardiovascular exercises, strength training, flexibility, etc. A quick Google search can help you determine whether you should run long distances, lift heavy weights, and so forth. I can’t possibly include everything there is to know about fitness and nutrition in this article alone, so thank goodness for the internet!
3) Incorporating Fitness into Your Daily Routine
Integrating fitness into your daily life doesn’t have to be daunting. Now, here are some simple strategies to make fitness a natural part of your day:
Walk or Bike to Class: Use your commute as an opportunity to get some exercise.
- If you live downtown, you may live within walking distance of school! So if you do, consider walking instead of taking our beloved public transit. Even if this is too much for you, walk around campus instead! I can easily get 8k steps in just because I walk so much from class to class.
Join Campus Fitness Classes: Did you know our school’s gyms offer a range of fitness classes that can fit into your academic schedule?
- If you didn’t, be sure to check out the drop-in schedules! You can even sign up for registered classes (ones you pay for) for a range of activities such as various levels of pilates, archery, olympic weightlifting, running, etc. I’ve noticed the pilates classes are significantly cheaper at Hart House versus a private business! Be sure to check out these links: https://harthouse.ca/fitness/registered-classes, https://harthouse.ca/fitness/fitness-classes, https://kpe.utoronto.ca/sport-recreationrecreational-workouts-activities/drop-sports-activities
Study Break Workouts: Use short workouts or stretches as a break from studying. Even a 10-minute walk can boost your energy and focus.
- Between my Robarts study sessions, my friends and I will ask someone to watch our belongings while we go for a walk. It doesn’t even have to be outside! Simply roaming Robarts can take over 10 minutes.
Find a Workout Buddy: Having a friend to exercise with can increase motivation and make your fitness journey more enjoyable.
- Plus, if you attend the school’s gyms, you’re saving money on a gym membership. (Technically, you’re paying for it in your tuition, but there’s no opt-out option, so opt-in and use the facilities!)
MY FITNESS JOURNEY
Stepping into the gym for the first time with friends at Goldring was daunting. Surrounded by experienced gym-goers, I felt a bit out of place. Yet, having my friends by my side, starting with cautious observations from the safety of treadmills, definitely made the gym less intimidating. This shared beginning was crucial as it marked the start of a transformative journey in fitness.
It was the introduction to weight-lifting through a friend that changed everything for me. Adopting and adapting their routine, I tackled a strength-training quest. My goals were clear: 1) to gain strength and 2) to improve my physique. Alongside lifting, I realized the importance of nutrition, targeting a protein intake of .7 grams per pound of body weight to support my muscle growth.
Yet, strength wasn’t my only focus. To round out my fitness, I recently began embracing running, starting on a treadmill. I plan to take it outdoors once it gets warmer, and once I improve a bit more. This aimed to improve my strength, endurance, and speed, addressing previous limitations.
A surprising boost in my motivation to workout came from wearing cute gym outfits, proving how small changes can significantly affect our drive and confidence. Nothing beats wearing a matching set! I am personally a GymShark fanatic, always taking advantage of their great sales.
Next, hydration and nutrition became pillars of my daily routine, with an intake of 5 litres of water a day! I also took it upon myself to learn to cook healthy meals to support my fitness goals. One thing I can certainly attest to is that exercising is far easier than the diet.
Finally, documenting my journey became a source of motivation—tracking progress through photos, weights, and reps highlighted how far I’ve come. What began as an intimidating venture into fitness with friends evolved into a deeply personal and empowering journey, demonstrating the power of persistence, adaptation, and the impact of a supportive community. This is how I fell in love with the gym, and I hope you do too.