So how do you choose? Here are some basic guidelines I suggest to people; but ultimately you need to do some research or get a professional to help do a custom plan for you. There are so many workout and eating misconceptions, that if you don't do the research, chances are you will never get the results you want.
What is my current goal?
You need to know what you want to achieve before you can achieve it. Diving right into fitness with no real goals is fine; many people just want to stay a their owned perceived level of fitness or like it as a hobby. But if you want to actually gain something out of it, then you need to start with a short-term goal. As I will cover below, you can have a long term goal, but it's usually important to set smaller goals throughout the journey so they are more realistic to achieve. Once you know your current goal, you can then start figuring out what types of fitness activities will help you achieve that goal, and of those activities, which ones you would enjoy doing. Granted, if you have never tried an exercise before, it's always good to try it out to see if you will like it. However, I always advise seeking a trained professional to guide you on proper form and technique so you can avoid injury.
What is my long term goal?
It's human nature to start off with a long term goal (even if you technically want it to be immediate). The long term goal should be where you want your journey to take you. For example, if you are overweight and want to be around a certain weight, then your long term goal would be to lose however many pounds to get to that sustainable goal weight. However, as noted above, in order to not psych yourself out or get unmotivated too soon, it's best to then break that long term goal into smaller, more easily attainable goals. Humans typically feed on short-term successes to keep their drive going; doesn't matter if it's for your career, fitness, or anything else.
What are my physical limitations?
Once you have your goals, you need to be honest with yourself. Do you have any permanent issues, such as bad knees, prior injuries, etc.? For example, a permanent back injury could limit you greatly from many activities, such as running or doing weight routines like dead lifts and squats. However, if the injury isn't as severe, then maybe you can do lighter impact activities to strengthen the core and supporting muscles, and eventually perform those activities. Also, I always recommend that you go to your doctor and get various tests taken to make sure your body can handle whatever activities you might want to do. Maybe you have a heart condition that you don't know about; performing a HIIT activity could cause you to have a heart attack. And that is the last thing you want. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
How much time per week can I devote?
The final piece is how much time you can commit per day and how many days you commit per week to achieve your goal. You may want those 6-pack abs in a month, but if you can only workout a few days a week for 30 minutes each session, and you can't drastically adjust your eating routine, then chances are you won't be getting that 6-pack in anywhere near a month. The main thing to understand here is that the amount of time you devote will typically determine the length of time needed to achieve your goal. However, you can only go with generalities on this, as everyone is different, and depending on the goal, the time will usually vary drastically from goal to goal.
What do I like doing?
As I mentioned already, you not only want to do the activities that you will help you achieve your goal, but you also want to do activities you enjoy doing. Very few people have the determination to consistently do something they don't like and stick with it. Therefore, once you have figured out all of the above, you need to figure out which activities you will enjoy that also help you achieve your goals. In some cases, there may be a couple activities you don't enjoy, but if overall you enjoy all of your other activities, making a little sacrifice usually doesn't hinder your success. There are plenty of websites, apps, and professionals who can guide in the right direction to know what activities are available for the goal your trying to achieve.
Good luck and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.
You need to know what you want to achieve before you can achieve it. Diving right into fitness with no real goals is fine; many people just want to stay a their owned perceived level of fitness or like it as a hobby. But if you want to actually gain something out of it, then you need to start with a short-term goal. As I will cover below, you can have a long term goal, but it's usually important to set smaller goals throughout the journey so they are more realistic to achieve. Once you know your current goal, you can then start figuring out what types of fitness activities will help you achieve that goal, and of those activities, which ones you would enjoy doing. Granted, if you have never tried an exercise before, it's always good to try it out to see if you will like it. However, I always advise seeking a trained professional to guide you on proper form and technique so you can avoid injury.
What is my long term goal?
It's human nature to start off with a long term goal (even if you technically want it to be immediate). The long term goal should be where you want your journey to take you. For example, if you are overweight and want to be around a certain weight, then your long term goal would be to lose however many pounds to get to that sustainable goal weight. However, as noted above, in order to not psych yourself out or get unmotivated too soon, it's best to then break that long term goal into smaller, more easily attainable goals. Humans typically feed on short-term successes to keep their drive going; doesn't matter if it's for your career, fitness, or anything else.
What are my physical limitations?
Once you have your goals, you need to be honest with yourself. Do you have any permanent issues, such as bad knees, prior injuries, etc.? For example, a permanent back injury could limit you greatly from many activities, such as running or doing weight routines like dead lifts and squats. However, if the injury isn't as severe, then maybe you can do lighter impact activities to strengthen the core and supporting muscles, and eventually perform those activities. Also, I always recommend that you go to your doctor and get various tests taken to make sure your body can handle whatever activities you might want to do. Maybe you have a heart condition that you don't know about; performing a HIIT activity could cause you to have a heart attack. And that is the last thing you want. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
How much time per week can I devote?
The final piece is how much time you can commit per day and how many days you commit per week to achieve your goal. You may want those 6-pack abs in a month, but if you can only workout a few days a week for 30 minutes each session, and you can't drastically adjust your eating routine, then chances are you won't be getting that 6-pack in anywhere near a month. The main thing to understand here is that the amount of time you devote will typically determine the length of time needed to achieve your goal. However, you can only go with generalities on this, as everyone is different, and depending on the goal, the time will usually vary drastically from goal to goal.
What do I like doing?
As I mentioned already, you not only want to do the activities that you will help you achieve your goal, but you also want to do activities you enjoy doing. Very few people have the determination to consistently do something they don't like and stick with it. Therefore, once you have figured out all of the above, you need to figure out which activities you will enjoy that also help you achieve your goals. In some cases, there may be a couple activities you don't enjoy, but if overall you enjoy all of your other activities, making a little sacrifice usually doesn't hinder your success. There are plenty of websites, apps, and professionals who can guide in the right direction to know what activities are available for the goal your trying to achieve.
Good luck and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.
