How To Be Fit (A Guide For Beginners)

Learning how to be fit makes a real difference to being healthy. Being fit makes you feel better. You’ll sleep better and feel more in touch with your body. Learn to treat it with more respect.

Being fit can seem an elusive goal if you haven’t exercised in years but you’ll be surprised how making small regular changes can make a big difference. Read on to find out more…

Check In With Your Doctor

If you have any doubts about starting an exercise program, check with your doctor first. If you’re overweight or have any medical issues it’s best to get an all clear first.

With any exercise program start slowly. Launching into a long run on day one just to prove you can still do it, won’t help if you end up with an injury.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Walking

Walking is a terrific way to get fit. It’s easier on the joints – a good thing if you’re overweight or an older athlete.

You don’t need any special equipment or costly gym membership. Just a good pair of comfortable shoes and a coat if it looks like it’s going to rain! Make sure your shoes have good support.

Get started with my 9 Week Fat Buster Walking Plan – lose 10 pounds in 9 weeks and keep it off!

Regular walking every day will make a real difference to your fitness levels if you’re not used to exercise. The more you walk, the fitter you’ll become.

Brisk walking has a long list of health benefits and recent studies have shown that fast walkers live longer.

Walking is also a good stepping stone to taking up running. I suggest you walk every day for two weeks first before starting a running program.

Couch To 5K

Starting running is all about getting through those first few weeks until running starts to feel easier. It will I promise!

The Couch To 5K Program can be a good place to start if you haven’t exercised in years. Follow my Couch To 5K Tips to get the most out of the program and find out if it’s a good match for you.

When you take up running, finding a running buddy or joining a club can be the best way to get the most out of your running, especially as a beginner runner.

Once you’ve ticked off your first 5K hopefully you’ll be addicted to running and looking for more. Train for your first 10K or try running faster. I’ve always liked the idea of using marginal gains to become a better runner.

Do I Have To Walk Or Run To Be Fit?

Does it seem like everyone talks about running or walking as the only way to get fit? Running and walking are great for burning calories but they’re definitely not the only way to get fit.

These 47 tips should give you some inspiration. Everything from Tai Chi to coasteering.

The best way to be fit is to find an activity your enjoy and start doing it regularly. This could be a daily yoga session or taking up hiking. If you’re having fun, your fitness activity becomes something to look forward to – the highlight of your day.

Staying Motivated

I love running but I’m the first person to start making excuses if it’s wet or cold outside. A way to get over this is always exercise at a regular time or better still arrange to meet someone.

It’s hard to not show up if you know a friend’s waiting on a doorstep for you!

Setting fitness goals and creating a workout schedule are some of my fitness tips for staying motivated.

Prioritise Sleep

If you’re a night owl like me, getting enough zzzs can be a problem. Yet skimping on your 7 to 8 hours a night, (more if you’re a teenager), can drastically affect your fitness.

Try setting an alarm for bedtime. A regular sleep routine will help with your fitness levels and eating habits.

Weight Loss

This is tough to admit, but being fit won’t guarantee you hit your weight loss goals. Yeah sorry about that!

If you have bad eating habits and consistently eat more calories than your body needs, you can exercise and still put on weight.

It’s the ugly truth about how to be fit. Starting your running plan isn’t an excuse to pile up the cakes as a reward.

If you want to lose weight, the answer is 80 to 90% diet related. Yes you can lose weight by running 5 miles a day but only if you stick to your recommended calorie intake.

Weight loss is all about calorie deficit. Burn more calories than you consume and you’ll lose your excess weight.

I’m not a huge fan of diets. Hands up if you’ve been on a diet and piled the weight back on 6 months to a year later?

Thought so. Diets are difficult to stick to. Worse still, extreme diets just send your body into starvation mode where your body adjusts to living on a lower calorie intake.

That’s a big problem when you reach your target weight goal and want to go back to regular eating.

It’s better to slowly adopt healthy eating habits. Make one small change at a time and stick to it. Start with something easy – a small commitment. Small steps towards healthy living and being fit.

Can you be fit but overweight?

Yes of course! Your weight doesn’t correspond to being fit. Fashion models are good examples – many have no muscle definition and poor cardio.

Be careful not to rule out a competitor in a race just because they’re packing a few extra pounds!

Ultimately being overweight does affect both your health and your fitness. It would be a mistake to think otherwise.

It’s easier to run, climb, hike, do yoga and just about any sport if you’re within the bounds of normal weight.

Your BMI is a rough guide to normal weight and you can use this BMI calculator to check your own. Just be aware it’s not accurate if you’re an athlete with big muscles.

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This guide is just an introduction to how to be fit and I hope the biggest takeaway is to find a sport or activity you enjoy! It’s much easier to be fit if you’re looking forward to your daily exercise session.