5 Fitness Mistakes To Avoid In January

So you want to get fit in the new year? Fab. Well done you! But, let me warn you that thanks to the lousy and misinformed information found in the media these days, you’ll want to do your very best to avoid the most common fitness mistakes this January.

To help you avoid the mistakes that I made when I first started off, I thought I’d provide you with 5 of my top fitness mistakes to avoid. Let’s go…

Following a fitness trend

When getting started, many people fall for the trap of following what everyone else is doing. Take CrossFit for example. since its popularity rose at the end of last year, everyone including Bob, Bill and John, seem to be taking up the sport one way or another. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but most of the time, when somebody starts following a particular trend, they end up figuring out that what they once thought was for them, really wasn’t.

My advice? Trial and error different types of exercise. Figure out which one is best for you. Aka, the exercises you enjoy. This way you’ll be 10x more likely to stick to your fitness regime.

Also, it’s important to remember that just because training methods work for some people, it doesn’t mean that it will work for you too. We all come from all different sizes, abilities, lifestyles and genes and therefore, following one particular workout will not necessarily provide you with the same results as your favourite fitness guru.

Following the wrong plans

I hate to tell you this but there’s an extremely high chance that the fitness influencers you’ve been following on Instagram – and the personal trainer you hired – are only qualified for the very basics. This means that they are NOT qualified to educate you about your nutrition, provide you with a diet plan or take your money for a programme on anything else than training.

On top of that, please make sure that the people you are following for fitness programmes (etc) are qualified. Remember, there is a strong difference between friendly fitness advice (which I’m all for) and fitness programmes/workouts specifically designed for yourself (from an unqualified fitness influecer).

Overtraining

I see this a lot. People are passionate about the new year, starting fresh and getting fit. Great. But what’s not so great is when people get a little carried away, listen to the media (who are known for promoting excessive exercise) and push their bodies a little too far (guilty). Not only does overtraining lead to fatigue, possible injuries and body-related stress, but it can also lead to a lack of motivation. Which will happen – trust me.

I’d suggest starting realistically. What can you fit in during the week besides work, family time, housework, etc? I personally workout 5 days a week – resting Thursday and Sunday’s – and this works perfectly for my body and mental state.

Guilt training

We’ve all been there – training because we’ve eaten too many calories (and read the magazines ‘exercise away your favourite foods’ article) or training harder because we skipped Tuesday’s workout. The truth is, this isn’t a good mindset to fall into.

Guess what? Working out should be fun! It should be a way to release your stress at the end of the day, help you loosen up and encourage you to get healthier. There’s no need to ‘work off’ the pizza you had last night (despite what the magazines say) and there is no need to overtrain. Not only is it important to keep your body healthy, but it’s just as important to keep your mind healthy too.

Unrealistic goals

You’ve set your goals for January, you’re back at it, killing your workouts and then boom, after a few weeks you feel a shift. Your motivation is slipping, you’re creeping back into your old habits and before you know it, you want to do everything else but workout. That my friend is called ‘unrealistic goals’. This happens often (ask anyone) because we simply end up setting unrealistic goals for ourselves at the beginning of the year. Let’s just say that we get a little excited and go goal crazy.

In fact, we start the year trying to be perfect. We aim for six workouts a week, meals that are super healthy and workouts that, let’s be honest, are a little intense. Who needs to do cardio every day for an hour?

As a result of our ‘perfect’ start to the year, our progress starts to lack. The truth? Consistently, sustainability and realism will always win. So instead of setting goals that are too high for you to reach, focus on small goals. The ones that are realistic, the ones that work with your lifestyle and the ones that you can smash little by little. If that means working out three times a week instead of six, then roll with it. If that means running once a week, then go for it. You see, when you set goals that are smaller and more realistic, you’re more likely to succeed and therefore, your confidence will grow to achieve your bigger goals later on in the year. In a nutshell? Start small and grow big.

Reminder: changes do not happen overnight. Fitness is a lifestyle – not a quick fix. Motivation comes and goes. Not everyone likes running. Results will come. And yes, you really can do it.