For many, the road to getting fit and healthy is not as straightforward as it seems. Most people have different reasons for wanting to get fit. But more importantly, they have different goals. While each goal can be motivating – because you want to have the perfect body, or because you want to run a marathon, for example – there is a big question that appears at the end of the Fitness journey. It’s a question most people have not considered before. Indeed, choosing your goals should be easy. Deep down, you know what your want. Sticking to it can be a little tricky at times, but it isn’t impossible. And then, at the end of your fitness program, you hit your goal. You become the fitter version of you. What do you do once you’ve reached your goal? Follow the emotional rollercoaster of a trip down the fitness lane.

Why Do You Start Your Fitness Journey?

Wanting to be fit is not a natural desire. People are not born with the need to spend hours at the gym. It’s a habit that develops as you decide to get fit. With every big lifestyle change – and fitness is one of them – it is about identifying the right trigger. You don’t want to get fit for fitness’s sake. You want it because you want to be able to compete in large-scale sport events. Or maybe you want to look good in your bikini on the beach. Or, you just want to make friend with your body again and take care of yourself. What’s your trigger?  

Is It Getting Your Mojo Back?

If you suddenly wake up in the middle of an identity crisis and you realize, with horror, that you don’t recognize your body anymore. It’s not the body you had when you were a fresh teenager. It has changed. It has grown larger in areas. It is sagging in other areas. In other words, time and a hectic lifestyle have thrown away the perfect and beautiful body you had in your younger years. For many, fitness is about taking back control of your body and empowering yourself. You want to become stronger because you know you can’t fight the bad surprises that life is reserving for you if you’re not fit enough.

Is It Self-Confidence?  

For other fitness beginners, it is hard to feel worthy in a world that values perfection and slimness as factors of beauty. You may feel that there is nothing for you if you’re not a size zero. If you’re not slim enough, then the world doesn’t want you – or at least that is what the media advertising and the skinny models seem to indicate. Fitness is about finding back your self-esteem and learning to love yourself again. As the muscles develop and the waist size drops, you feel that it is now acceptable to like yourself. You are allowed to do so now that you match your image of perfection.

Is It The Challenge?

Finally, some people turn to fitness to seize a new challenge in their life. Whether you want to climb a mountain or to run a marathon with http://www.runningforbeginners.com/, it’s essential that you prepare yourself for it. People who decide to join a marathon train for over 12 months sometimes, so it’s easy to understand why fitness is so important. You can’t get to the finish line if your muscles are not strong enough to carry. You can’t push through the pain of the effort if you haven’t developed your resistance to endurance. For these, getting fit is part of the challenge. It’s the equivalent of cleaning the room before you paint the walls: You need to do the background work before you can start with the interesting bit. It’s the same for sport challenges. You need to get your body into shape before you can tackle the challenge.   

Define Your Fitness Goals And Stick To Them

Once you know why you are interested in fitness and in changing your lifestyle for it, it is easier to define your goal. The goal is the answer to the problem that triggered your fitness program. Whether it is weight loss, increasing strength or getting genuinely more athletic, you’ll be pleased to know that there is always an app to track your fitness performance. Some app are also organized with clever gamification rewards that keep you in the loop of your progress. For example, Nike+ Running is great for runners from beginners to marathon experts. The app even helps you to define a fitness program based on your performance. Other apps distribute virtual badges and points, which is a great way of rewarding yourself.

Get The Equipment You Need

There is no denying it: When you embrace the fitness life, you will need fitness gear. For a start, unless you are buying large fitness equipment such as a treadmill or an indoors bike, you should never buy second-hand items. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank: You can find vouchers for your favorite brands on http://www.dontpayfull.com, which can make the fitness shopping a lot more enjoyable. Think of your trainers, as they will need to be adapted to your activities. In short, ankle-high trainers are not suited for jogging. Similarly, you’ll find that gym trainers are different from outdoors trainers. Additionally, when you buy your fitness gear, make sure to pick suitable sports underwear too. It’s part of your comfort, after all.   

Staying Motivated

When it comes to reaching your fitness goal, you have probably figured out that motivation is essential. You can have all the fitness gear you want, without motivation, it is pointless. However, it can be tricky to actually want to stick to it. Motivation can be difficult to maintain, especially because the results of your fitness program will not be immediate. So how do you stay motivated in the meantime? Some implement a reward system – not choosing food as a reward, obviously – until fitness becomes a natural habit. Others, feeling that social pressure works best, prefer to sign an official commitment in front of their friends. Hereby I declare that I shall go to the gym 3 times a week until fitness us parts. Everyone struggles with motivation!

What Happens When Life Gets In The Way?

Sometimes, you may have everything ready for your fitness session, but it still doesn’t happen. This is the case when life gets in the way. For example, if you are planning your wedding day, you may find that it’s best to postpone your fitness plans for now. Or maybe something unexpected happened? Simply deal with the new situations as they occur. There is still time to go back to your fitness plan later or to modify your fitness plan to fit your new schedule. You may even find that your goals evolve too. This eventually happens when you reach your goal. What is the point of sticking to a fitness regime when you’ve done what you had set to do? The point is you. Your health depends on it.

Why Is Fitness Important?

In the end, fitness is still an important part of a healthy lifestyle. You may not like it, but without physical activity, your body and its vital functions lose their vitality. You may find that your mood is affected, your sleep, and your overall health. If you remember that your body is a machine, it becomes essential to look after it. Eating healthy foods and exercising is how you take care of your biological machine. Whatever the reason you’ve chosen to start a fitness journey, you know that it is making you stronger and healthier.