Taking the First Step to Get Fit and Healthy

Sure, you know that being overweight can make day-to-day activities difficult. But how much do you know about the negative health consequences that arise from obesity? Being overweight puts you at an increased risk for some pretty serious diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Even certain cancers have been linked to obesity.

Exercising every day is one of the best things you can do for your health. It will help you lose weight. But if you haven’t worked out in months or years—or ever—it’s difficult to get started. You may feel lazy and unmotivated. You’re scared to get out there, and you may not even know where to start.

The first step to getting fit and healthy is to commit to making a positive change. This means pushing all the negative thoughts out of your brain. No one’s better suited to motivate you than you! Push aside all the excuses for not working out, and replace them with reasons to get active.

Replace “I can’t go very far” with “You don’t have to go far, you just have to go.”

Remind yourself that this is new to you. Even the most athletic people had to train for that six-minute mile. Begin with a walk down your driveway and work up to a walk down the street. Time and distance don’t matter. Start small and you’ll be surprised by what you’re capable of.

Replace “The gym isn’t for me” with “I don’t need the gym to work out.”

A gym is not the only place to get a good workout in. Go outside and find a scenic spot where you can fit in a 10-minute walk. Or stay indoors and walk up and down your stairs—that’ll get your heart rate going. There are countless at-home workouts for beginners.

Replace “I’ll start tomorrow” with “Why wait until tomorrow when I have today?”

It’s easy to put something off until tomorrow—especially something as daunting as physical activity. Eliminate tomorrow from your vocabulary. You only have today—just get started.

You might get sore, you might get tired, but if you stick with a healthy routine for more than just a couple of weeks, you will start to feel really great. Losing weight will become a goal you can achieve—not a fantasy you blow off with excuses.