Where do you start on your journey to fitness? For someone starting to workout or who’s been on the sidelines for a while, here are a few suggestions to get you going. There’s an overwhelming amount of choices and one might become paralyzed with the paradox of choices!

Find an activity

What are your fitness goals? Figure out what they are… Is it to lose weight? Learn a new skill like swimming or martial arts? To prevent diabetes? It could be a combination of several goals.

After figuring your goals, you can narrow down the type of fitness activities that might help you reach your goals, but first ask yourself a few questions:

• What kind of physical activity do you do everyday? Do you spend most of your day sitting, standing or are you fairly active? Maybe you might want to try something that’s the opposite of what you’re used to doing everyday to train your muscles to do something different and mix things up. Variety is the spice of life!
  If you’re fairly sedentary at a desk job, try a class where you workout a bunch of different muscle groups that gets your blood flowing. Or if you’re active all day in construction, try a yoga class where you can stretch and relax all those hardworking muscles.
• Do you work alone or in a team setting? Although some people may identify as introverts who prefer to be by themselves or extroverts who enjoy being in a group, try an activity that pushes you beyond your comfort zone.
  For example, if you’re a social person, try a mediative yoga class where you stretch, relax, and calm your mind. Or if you like solitary activities, try a jiu jitsu class where you have to partner up and practice. You might discover a part of yourself you never knew!

If you’re not sure of what type of activity you’d enjoy there are usually free trial classes or promotional prices for first timers. Try different activities and figure out what you like or don’t like, this will help narrow it down and expand your horizons at the same time.

Make it convenient

Convenience is a huge factor on the enjoyment of your chosen activity. Does it fit into you schedule? Is it close to home or on your way to work or school? These are some factors to take into consideration.

If you’re making excuses not to go or find it difficult to make it on time, it’s either too far for you, doesn’t fit into your lifestyle or there’s some other underlying reason. And when it becomes a struggle eventually you lose interest, become discouraged and abandon the idea all together. Start off on the right foot!

Figure out your budget

How much can you afford? If you’re on a tight budget, you may decide to do-it-yourself by downloading a free fitness app to your smartphone like Couch to 5K, Nike Training Club or Fitbod and workout at home, use the gym in your building,  go to your community centre or take it outside! There are also some local studios that might offer access to classes and equipment if you volunteer your time to assist in their operations. Just ask!

If you can afford a monthly membership to a gym or fitness studio that offers specialty classes, do the trial first and see if you like it enough to stick with it. Just ensure you read the contract to understand how and when payments are due, if you can take a break when you go on vacation or you’re unable to continue due to illness, and the rules about cancellation. If you’re living in town or city in Ontario, Canada check out this article by Consumer Protection Ontario about your rights on joining a gym or fitness club. Do your research on your rights in your own jurisdiction and don’t get burned!

Choose a gym or fitness studio

Based on suggestions above, you may have already narrowed down your search but choosing a gym or fitness studio is like choosing a partner! Think about it, you’ll be in a longterm relationship with them, going to their place a few times per week and hanging out with them and their friends. Make sure you like and you’re comfortable with them because breaking up is hard to do!

Last words

Even though the fitness journey may seem entirely physical, it isn’t! Your mind and your attitude plays a big role in reaching your fitness goals. Set your mind to it and let’s do this!