10 tips for how to start working out and stay at it 

How many people who each day say they will start working out I don’t know. But I know one thing, people make up a bunch of excuses why not too and they all usually come down to one thing, fear. Fear of not being fit enough, fear of something new, fear of other people judging.

A lot of people commit every day to start working out, but so many quit after a period and even more find it so difficult to start.
We have compiled a list with 10 tips and tricks we found to be helpful when we were first starting out, and that has helped us stay consistent through the years. 

1. Scary

Starting to work out, like all new things can be really scary! Everyone finds different things scary and that’s ok. It’s a lot to take in and many people get a little intimidated by the environment that often dominates gyms or CrossFit boxes, it’s often masculine and as a macho vibe to it, with people even tearing off their shirts, at least that’s the impression you get.

No one thinks less of you for being a beginner, and if they do, they’re idiots..so ignore them!

FuelChefs

The gym or Crossfit box is often packed with men and women looking more like lifting machines than anything human. You end up questioning yourself when you walk through the door if there even is a light enough weight in here for you, and if there is, people will surely look at you and think you’re a weak little being. 

Let me tell you one thing, you couldn’t be more wrong! If there is one thing everyone in that gym share, it is that they started somewhere and they have worked damn hard to get to where they are. What they also share, is a bunch of really really good experience, an experience they will likely be happy to share with you if you ask them nicely.. after they are done with their sets. 

No one thinks less of you for being a beginner, and if they do, they’re idiots..so ignore them!

It can also be overwhelming in the beginning, it’s a lot to learn. So take your time and take it step by step, you’re not in a rush! Seek advice from professionals when you need it, that is really important in order not to hurt yourself or make silly mistakes that could easily have been avoided. 

2. Every day you don’t workout is a lost opportunity

Like I said above, everyone is a beginner, in the beginning, everyone has been there. So you have to get up on that horse and start.

Nothing ever got better by procrastinating or just not starting. Every day that goes by is a lost opportunity, don’t tell yourself that you’ll start next Monday or next month, start tomorrow or even better, today!  

And I promise you, you’ll feel progress so fast, and your confidence and love for working out is just going to boom!!

3. Everyone is more focused on themselves than on others

We’ve already been through all the other people at the gym or CrossFit box, and guess what they are too focused on themselves and their own thing to think about everyone else. So your concern about what others will think of your lifting technique, how fast you’re running, how your butt looks, how your stomach crunches or how your bicep is smaller than that guy next to you. No one else thinks about that than you! 

Well, correction, they might think of their own butt, stomach or bicep. 

So stop thinking about what others think and start focusing on your own thing. You’ll also notice that thinking of your own thing will sharpen your focus and you’ll get a much better workout and in turn see better results. 

4. Find your form of training

Not everything is for everyone. Not everyone loves Crossfit, lifting weights, Zumba, running or biking. Find your thing, find what you like and what you enjoy, but be open-minded. For example, I never thought I’d like CrossFit, but Tobias convinced me and it turned out I loved it! 

Try to adopt a learning mindset, enjoy learning new things and mastering them, don’t be so serious about working out, enjoy it. 

When you find that thing or several things you enjoy start setting some goals for yourself. They should be attainable, but a little hairy. If you want to learn more about goal setting, this post is about how we think about goals and how we set them. 

Also remember that everything is better than nothing! 

..don’t be so serious about working out, enjoy it.

FuelChefs

5. Brush your teeth

Get into that habit, not with brushing your teeth, but with working out. 

Brushing your teeth is such a good example of a good habit. You do it every day, it might not be exactly what you want to do, but you know it is good for you both short term and long term. The same goes for working out, it might not always be what you want to do, but it is really really good for you! When you’re able to make it into a habit it will be som much easier to just do it. 

By doing something often and regularly, it will become a habit, and it’ll become a natural thing in your life and you’ll think less about it. So, I strongly recommend you to stay consistent and make working out a really good habit that will last you for a long time, hopefully for the rest of your life! 

If you manage to make working out into a habit it will also follow you during vacations and holidays. But remember that every workout during your holiday won’t be perfect, and that is fine because you are consistent throughout the year a period with some not so good workouts is totally fine!

If you want inspiration for good vacation workouts you can click here for our holiday workout program. It requires no workout gear and can be done pretty much wherever you are. 

6. Noone is motivated all the time

Motivation will not come to you like a genie when you sit on the couch eating crackers! It will come when you grind! Just do it. Get to the gym and do it. 

FuelChefs

No one is motivated all the time. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, no one is, and guess what, that is ok. But the secret trick is, doing things, such as working out foster motivation for that activity. Motivation and the act of doing are linked, so you’ll get motivated by actually doing things!  

Motivation will not come to you like a genie when you sit on the couch eating crackers! It will come when you grind! Just do it. Get to the gym and do it. 

I promise, you will always feel better afterwards!! 

7. Be mindful

Try to think of and be mindful about all the positive effects you get from working out and having a good routine and try to notice these things. These can be things such as better sleep, more energy, a more positive mindset, a better relationship with food (even though you might feel a bit more hungry now you use more energy) and more motivation as you start noticing progression. 

Try to be mindful about all these effects and harness them into something positive. Seeing and being aware of the impact these elements have on you and your life will help you keep going and want more. It will give you motivation as well, to continue doing what you’re doing. 

However, I also urge you to be mindful of what doesn’t work. For example, if you want to work out in the morning but it really just isn’t for you. Be honest with yourself and instead of being hellbent on not “giving up” make the necessary adjustments so that it fits your schedule, sleep routine and personality. Do what works! 

8. Start slow and easy

Find a pace your mind, your body and your schedule can maintain. Coming out hot through the gates will likely end up with you crashing and burning wondering what you did wrong. 

..slow and steady wins the race! 

FuelChefs

Starting to intense is a mistake too many people have done before you, and it’s usually not a very good idea. This can be for example that you want to work out 5 times a week, workout every morning, run for at least 1 hour etc. 

You have to set realistic goals, if you’re not a morning person and not used to working out scheduling your workouts in the morning is usually not a good idea. The reason why is because you then have to change 2 habits, one not working out and the other not waking up in the morning, it’s just not sustainable. 

Take me for another example (Ida), I really don’t like running, I have done CrossFit for 4 years, the gym several years before that, lots of mountain and road biking before that. So my overall shape is not too bad, but when I decided I wanted to get better at running my goal was to run 2 rounds around this building close to the CrossFit box, then I ran 3 the next week and so on. Then Tobias asked me if I wanted to go for a run, I was not positive, but my only requirement was that I wanted to set the pace and distance. We ran for 1 hour (!!!) and guess what, I liked it. My point is, I didn’t start with 1 hour, I ran small distances first, that I felt in control of and I managed my negative thoughts, then I started running further and began enjoying it. 

So, slow and steady wins the race! 

9. Community and friendship

Some people like to workout alone, others enjoy the company. Sometimes people enjoy working out alone at the start, then they want a community or workout buddy. That’s totally ok. 

But often having someone to hold you accountable and that can push you is a good thing. 

Personally, we both see the beauty of training by our self, with colleagues, with each other or at the CrossFit box. 

When you workout by yourself you have full focus and you can get a lot of work done in a really short time, it’s very efficient. 

Training with friends or coworkers is great for fun and bonding, maybe not so much for an effective workout, but it can do wonders for motivation and it can help you get results through some healthy competition. 

The same goes for a CrossFit box or something similar, you’ll get a great community and fun workouts. We can both really recommend CrossFit, people there are (as far as we’ve experienced) very friendly, extremely open to new people and will always help out if you have any questions. At my box (Ida’s box) we exchange tips from everything on how what knee-sleeves to buy, to tricks for shoulder pain to the best cinnamon bun recipes. 

We both also really enjoy working out together, it’s fun and really enjoyable, and it is super competitive. Tobias of course often beats me, but when I beat him it is some serious celebration going on and it will keep me going for days! 

10. New workout clothes

So this one might be a bit sad (and controversial), but new workout clothes and gear really helps. Getting new stuff that you feel comfortable and good in really helps boost motivation. For some maybe that is getting those running shoes you’ve been longing for, getting those new tights or shorts that feel extra good, or maybe that lifting belt. 

This doesn’t have to be expensive, but try to buy quality stuff that can last you for a long time. 

Summary

These were our 10 tips for how to get started and stay at it! We really hope you like them and that they can help you. Do you have any other advice or tricks up your sleeve? Comment below, we’d love to hear them! 

YouTube video