If you’re restarting your fitness or nutrition journey, keep the following in mind:
- Find something you really think you’ll stick with for the rest of your life. If you go in with that mindset, you’ll be set up for success. One month isn’t going to cut it.
- Find a gym or coach who can help you put together a plan for the rest of your life. Their intent should be progress today, and progress forever.
- Find a gym where people are smiling and happy. this is especially important in todays social climate. We’re all shy on human interaction, the gym is a safe place full of like minded people you’ll want to surround yourself with. Remember, you’re the product of the 6 people you spend the most time with.
- Find a gym of professionals, not hobbyists. All gyms and coaches start somewhere with their first clients. Unfortunately, the process to become a “coach” is woefully inadequate. In less than a weekend, anyone can call themselves a coach and open a gym. There’s a reason doctors start on cadavers. Don’t be a new coach’s crash test dummy. (Sorry new coaches)
- Don’t judge a coach by their appearance (necessarily). Just because they’re in incredible shape doesn’t mean they are incredible coaches. The best football coaches weren’t the best players. On the other hand, if your new coach is clearly not following their own advice, you should probably look elsewhere.
- Price should be considered, but it should be put in proper perspective. If you’re finding yourself questioning the price of a membership because you’d rather buy a new car with that money, I believe your priorities are out of whack. Unless you are very self disciplined, I believe you should have a coach before you have a car payment. I’d rather drive a Dodge Neon to all my bad ass hobbies for the next 80 years than a brand new car every 5 for the next 30.
- Be gentle and patient with yourself. After 30, almost all of us can name a handful of things we used to be able to do but no longer can. That’s life. If you have 5 pounds to lose or 50, it all starts with a single step – one foot in front of the other. You’re going to miss days and weeks. You’re going to slip up, you’re going to go backwards sometimes. We all do. Be your own best friend and tell yourself what you need to hear instead of the internal lashing you’re probably currently doing.
- Nutrition > Fitness. If I had to pick whether someone has a perfect nutrition or perfect fitness, my advice to anyone who wants to live longer, feel better, and look better would be nutrition.