Whether today is your first day ever working out, you’re trying to drop some of that baby weight — dads, you know you gained some “baby weight,” too — or you’re trying to get back into a gym routine and you need a place to start. But where? With all of the information out there regarding exercise, it can be a little overwhelming; so, here are 5 tips to help get you started on your fitness journey.

Make fitness a habit

If you want to be good at something, do it. Every. Single. Day. Pick something you enjoy. Make it a priority. Schedule it in your calendar. Prepare. If you wait until you “have time,” you will never have time and you will never workout. If you stick with a consistent plan, each week becomes easier, and you’ll love the way it makes you feel.

Set goals (small and large) and determine your “why," “what” and “how”

Recognizing progress in the short-term can keep you on track and motivated to reaching your long-term goals. Every time you lift one pound more weight, run one second faster, sleep 30 minutes longer or drink one more glass of water each day, celebrate! You’ve improved!

Consistency over intensity

Even if you feel pretty motivated, the “go hard or go home” mentality will kill your momentum when you realize you can barely move the next day. Focus, instead, on being consistent. The results will follow.

Eat your way to better health

Make sure your diet supports your fitness goals! Your diet can be what determines how much energy you have for a workout and how you recover afterwards.

Accept that you’ll have setbacks

People think being in shape is a linear thing - something that remains stagnant. FALSE. In reality, we experience varying levels of fitness over our lifetimes. Everyone feels demotivated at times and hits plateaus in their fitness journeys. True failure only comes when you decide to throw in the towel and give up. Happy training!

See a Fitness Specialist for further assistance and personalized fitness plans.