Working Out How To Work Out

 

On the year anniversary of the UK's first lockdown, I did some reflection. More specifically, I looked at the 'lockdown bucket list' I wrote up. Amongst writing a novel, learning a new language and learning how to do a perfect cat eye liner (none of which I did), I planned to get healthy and 'fit'. 

Even then I knew this was an ambiguous goal, you can be at your ideal weight and lead a very unhealthy lifestyle, and vice versa. A year later, I don't know if I would say I have achieved this goal, but I think I have a much better idea of what achieving it would mean. Personally, I just want to feel generally stronger, and by this I mean that I want to do workouts more easily, perhaps over time have more defined muscles and abs. And my answer to this goal? Two words; Chloe Ting. 

YouTube workouts are probably some of my favourite videos, having someone to essentially do the workout with and keep you motivated is a major factor in beginning your fitness journey. Chloe Ting is a personal favourite of mine for a multitude of reasons, including the low impact/ easier exercise alternatives she provides. As someone who has struggled with fitness for a long time, having alternatives that meant I could continue the workout without being 'left out' has been a huge driving force for me. Her short fitness programmes like the Two Week Shred Challenge are great to start you out on your exercise journey, and her positive reinforcement makes an hour of exercise feel like 20 minutes. 

Another huge part of working out how to workout has been research, and of the thousands of tips and articles I have read, here are my top five finds:

1. Realistic goals- I have already touched on this, but being realistic means you are more likely to achieve them and feel motivated along the way 

2. Drink water- although this is an obvious one, it is an absolute must! Weight loss was one of my primary goals, and drinking 2L of water a day left me feeling energised and seeing results

3. Be consistent- some days you won't feel like working out, but even if you do one video instead of three, low intensity instead of HIIT, anything to keep some momentum is useful

4. Warm up- they can be time consuming, but they are so worth it! I hate to think how many pulled muscles I could've avoided if I had listened to the warnings. WARM UP!!

5. Train with a friend- this is a tricky one in lockdown, but even just texting each other with support can make that all important difference

I have said this before and I will say it again, do not put pressure on yourself! Every journey, especially internal ones, have their ups and downs. Whether you're a fitness guru or a newbie like me, you can do this! And most importantly, make sure you do this for the right reasons. If you wanna better your body or your health or your mind- do it for you! Good luck guys, please feel free to message me or comment anything you have learned whilst working out, I would love to be a part of a community with you guys :)