Fitness

When it comes to motivation, your brain is a mysterious creature. One minute you’re pumped, full of enthusiasm. A few weeks later the excuses start to creep in, and before you know it you haven’t been to the gym all week.

Smart Start:

is a beginners plan for fitness that is based on scientific research. Follow this simple approach to guarantee that your first steps to fitness are not your last.

When you’re starting out, a good goal to aim for is 150 minutes of exercise a week. Research shows that with 150 minutes of exercise a week you will start enjoying the health benefits of exercise.

There are lots of ways you can begin to get active. You can start with group fitness workouts, walking, bike riding or even just choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even if you can only manage 10 minutes at a time, remember, it all adds up in the end.

When you have reached, and acclimatised to 150 minutes of exercise a week the next goal is 250 – 300 minutes. This is the suggested amount of weekly exercise needed to begin seeing some of the physical changes that accompany exercise without making any changes to your diet.

If you’re up for this challenge you can begin following our scientifically-proven six-week introduction. This workout plan lets you know how to mix up your workouts to maximize effectiveness and keep it interesting.

Another smart move is to set some goals. Setting goals can be a huge help at any stage of your exercise journey. We suggest setting two goals; one based on the results you’re after and one on the behavior you’re trying to change. For example, I want to drop one dress size and I want to get to the gym twice next week. Stick these goals somewhere you will see them often, like the fridge or in your wallet.

Whatever you do, make sure your goals are realistic and don’t be too hard on yourself – remember, you’re just starting out. As you reach each of your goals you can reevaluate how much time you are exercising and what you are trying to achieve.