How to Workout (My Way)

Working out?

With the year coming to an end, we all have some kind of new year resolutions and working out to achieve your ideal body type or a strong and healthy is one of them. However in reality, the thoughts to exercise are often short-lived and we are again back to square one. I am sure everyone have experienced this at one point in their life including me so rest assured, you are not alone. I was once a chubby kid in my childhood years and I have come a long way in achieving a fit body that I can be proud of. So I am writing this to share how I workout, well not the type of exercise and anything like that as I am not a fitness expert but to share about the mindset that I practiced.

5 principles to hold

I will be sharing my top 5 principles that motivate me to start working out and continue to do so over the years. Do not worry, it is not something difficult to practice and in fact, once you get into the cycle, it is very hard NOT to workout anymore.

Find your spark.

First thing first, remember strongly what make you have the thought to start working out. It can be anything like new year resolutions but for me, the ONE spark that really push me to do the first push-up is that people around me started laughing at me for how chubby I am. While it is not to the point of bullying, it hurts my pride, a lot. Another point to add to the fuel is that I want to impress the girl I like. So with that, I did the first push-up and sit-up and I was exhausted. But do not worry, see the next point.

Start small.

Yes, start small. It is not a shame at all that you can only do one push-up or one sit-up, I have been there, so do everybody else. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is the quote that I keep to myself. You cannot run a marathon right off the bat without learning to walk. Starting small is better than not starting at all. Once you started, then only you think plans to improve further.

Consistency is key.

Next important factor is consistency. This goes without saying, you will not see much changes in the span of a day, a week or even a month. Without consistency, you will simply go back to your previous self. Motivation makes you start but it will not be the factor that makes you to keep working out, you need something deeper, something more meaningful to you. It may be developing a passion, a need to have strong body to fight diseases or like me, to change for the better and regain my pride. You can experience with different goal in mind and stick with the one with the greatest 'energy'.

Do not beat yourself if you break the chain. 

I know there will be times where we simply cannot go on and must take a break. Experiencing a pain and being ill are some of the reasons so it is fine to break the chain. But just remember not to stray too far from your intended workout day and do not make it an excuse every time you break it. Focused in continuing your streak rather than blaming yourself is more crucial during this stage. Once you started the streak, you will find new resolution to continue the chain until one day, it is simply too difficult to break the chain anymore.

Reward yourself. 

You heard me right! Reward yourself properly after reaching your workout goals is also important to working out. Work must be properly compensated only then people will do. Praise yourself in front of the mirror, get yourself your favorite snack or buy a movie ticket, anything that motivates you further. For me, it is simply gaming. If I reached my goal, I give myself extra time to play a game. Varying the type of rewards also helps so try it out for yourself.

Conclusion

These 5 principles are what in my mindset and they are important to form a workout cycle that is hard to break. Taking the first step to workout is always the hardest. But once you acknowledged this, you already clear the first hurdle. You can do it and remember, everybody else is also struggling to take the first step so you can be the pioneer the pave your own path to working out.