The First Steps To Achieving The Body You Desire

There’s a whole lot of effort that goes into getting your dream body. It needs determination, consistency and being able to stick to your goal. Depending on your body type and your fitness level, nutrition can play a huge role as well as exercise. If you’re looking to lose weight, nutrition has an 80% effect whereas exercise has a 20% effect. However, exercising consistently will get you the body of your dreams as you tend to get more toned as the muscles are gained, making you look healthier, slimmer and fitter.
Once you’ve decided to put the effort into transforming your body here are a few tips to get you on the right track:

The First Steps To Achieving The Body You Desire

Research your body type

There are many diets, foods and fitness programs that differ according to your body type, blood type, and fitness level. So, before you start, it is advisable to research what you think you can commit to, what will best suit your body and which method would be the most effective.

It is always encouraging to keep your mind positive by following fitness gurus and professionals who will motivate you to reach your goal. There are also several fitness blogs that can encourage you with articles and information you might need. Flick through the numerous platforms until you find the best fitness blog that provides you with the information you find interesting to read and make sure you check it frequently to get inspired and gain knowledge.

Determine your fitness goal

Are you trying to lose weight, gain muscle or gain strength and endurance? The first step you need to do is actually start setting your goal in order to be able to work towards it. Whether your target is to lose a few extra pounds, get six-packs or train for a marathon, setting a goal is the first step that needs to be taken.

The First Steps To Achieving The Body You Desire

Set a routine you can actually follow

One of the main reasons so many people tend to fall off the wagon when it comes to fitness goals is that they start off so strong and end up biting more than they can chew. The key to reaching your goal is consistency. Don’t go to the gym every day if you feel it will only wear you off faster. The ideal amount of exercise time to start off with would be 3 times a week for a minimum of 45 minutes per session, but if you feel that’s still too much for you, start off with what you know you will be able to follow.

Schedule your exercise as an appointment

Try and think of an easy routine. Sign up for a gym next to work and head before or after your day to get yourself into a daily routine you can commit to. Or if you won’t be going daily, think of exercise as an appointment you need to fix. Schedule it into your calendar, free time for it and make sure that you treat this sacred time just like any other appointment. It takes a while to get used to it, but once you’ve fallen into the habit, it’ll get easier to make it a normal part of your day just like brushing your teeth.

Build activity into your daily routine

If you’re into binge-watching series, try watching while you’re walking on a treadmill. That way, you could easily get an hour or two of exercise instead of crawling in bed and hibernating for the entire day. Another easy element to incorporate into your day is parking your car further away to make sure you get an extra few minutes of walking done.

Progress slowly

You could decide to follow an online fitness program, find a workout group, go to the gym or find a personal trainer who can help design a fitness program that improves your strength, endurance and in the long run, gives you the body you desire. Whichever method you choose, make sure you take it easy by starting slow and increasing gradually. For instance, if you do 5 push-ups, 10 squats, and 20 abs one day, try to increase each type by one or two moves the following day.

Mix and match between different activities

The body can get used to the exercise you do constantly and not benefit from it quite as much. That’s why it’s important to change your routine around and include cardio, weights, strength and endurance training. These can be done by cross-training, functional training or high-intensity training to differentiate between the intensity and keep the heart rate fluctuating for best results. For instance, high-intensity training is known to have a high-fat burning effect for 48 hours after working out, even when your heart is at rest. It is also important to make sure you exercise all the muscle groups within the week.

Recovery is just as important as exercising

There should be one day a week where your body gets to recover, in order to be in its best form the following week. Otherwise, the muscles will be over exhausted and could lead to injuries. It is also necessary to get a good night’s sleep for your body to rest.

Publicidade

Don’t forget to eat healthily

The body needs to be fuelled with the right food in order to produce the form you desire. Make sure you get some healthy carbs or a banana, for instance, before you start working out to give you enough energy to get through your exercise program. It is essential that the muscles receive protein after your workout to enhance growth or else exercising will lead to a loss of muscles.

Cut down on the sugars, desserts, soft drinks as well as junk food, fried foods and any form of unhealthy food and you’re bound to see a great difference in your appearance.
Don’t go for extreme diets that will only end up making your craving multiply. Just eat healthy, limit your portions and wait for the results to kick in.

Bottom line

Reaching your goal isn’t an easy task. It requires determination and perseverance, but it is also essential for you to take baby steps that will actually be followed and implemented into your daily life. Think of it as a change of lifestyle rather than just a temporary phase and try to incorporate these changes gradually into your day until you’re satisfied with the outcome.