Eight things you learn when you start getting fit

1. Fitness is a habit

The jury is still out on the exact time it takes to form a habit, but it’s currently estimated to be anything from 21 to 66 days. That’s just over two months (at worst). If you’re slow to get motivated, just make a deal with yourself to go do something once a week, then twice, then three times. Start slowly. One foot in front of the other. Before you know it, getting up an hour earlier – or jotting out for a lunch time run – will be so ingrained in your routine that you feel weird when you miss a day.

2. You are stronger than you think you are

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Getting fit is an incredible journey that teaches you a lot about your mental and physical strength. Think you can’t left heavy? You’re wrong. You can. Try heavier, try harder, try farther and faster. If you think you can’t run 5km? Well, then you should run for 6km. Chances are you are capable of much more than you give yourself credit for. Obviously if you have any underlying conditions you should consult your doctor… but overall, you’re always capable of more than you think.

3. You’re not exercising, you’re training

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Stop calling it exercising and start calling it training even if you aren’t training for something specific. You’re still training your body to be fitter, stronger, healthier, to be able to lift more bags of groceries or just to function better. Training sounds far more bad ass than “exercise”. Ex…excer…excerci…eggs are sides for bacon…you see?

4. The number on the scale doesn’t always matter

We far too easily obsess over the number on the scale, but you know… it often doesn’t matter. As you lose fat and build muscle, the number might not budge. I am the same weight now than what I was at one of my lowest weights, but I am more toned and much, much stronger. If you need numbers to motivate you, measure up centimetres instead. And, of course, nothing is a better measure than how your favourite pair of jeans fit and how many notches you have to use in your belt.

5. What works for one person might not work for you

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This goes for everything from diet to the type of exercise you do. Pounding the pavement or the treadmill might give great results to one person and do absolutely nothing for another. Don’t be afraid of trying and failing.

6. It’s okay to feel like you don’t know what the hell you’re doing

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Sometimes it’s okay to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. If you’re training at a gym, things might seem intimidating as hell, but there is a wealth of knowledge on the internet these days. Follow reliable resources to help you on your way.

7. Improvements happen fast

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Just like you’ll form a habit faster than you can say: “but I like to sleep”, you’ll see improvements if you stick to your routine. No, you’re not going to have ripped abs in a month, but you’ll walk up the stairs without panting, you’ll lift your groceries without feeling like your arm might fall off and you’ll stop hurting in places you never knew existed.

8. Workout gear is incredibly comfortable

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Whether you exercise in an old t-shirt and some trackies or whether you treat yourself to some gear every now and then, you’ll soon realise how comfy this gear is. Once you start throwing on that workout gear on a Saturday or Sunday morning because it’s comfy, it becomes an almost automatic function to head out and do something while wearing it.