Starting Strong: 5 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Fitness Journey

I grew up as a dancer, competing in contemporary and commercial competitions across the country, alongside running, playing netball, Pilates and strength training - you name it, I was there! Therefore, I have spent many years coordinating all these sports and creating my perfect schedule, a schedule that enables me to progress whilst looking after my body and my recovery.

In the age of social media, there are so many voices in the world telling us how to "get fit", "get toned", and get that "beach body" (side note: every body, when on a beach, is a beach body - one is not more worthy of enjoying a beach than another), and it can be difficult to know who to listen to, particularly when so much of the advice is contradictory. It can be overwhelming to try to pick apart all these fitness influencers and their "perfect" methods to achieving your goals, alongside the challenges of unrealistic body image from AI edited posts, extreme poses, and good old fashioned photoshop. My advice? Take it all with a pinch of salt.

There absolutely are relatable, honest and valuable fitness influencers on the internet, so I wouldn't discount everything you see. Here are some of my favourites at the moment:

Krissy Cela (@krissycela), founder of Evolve You, founder and creative director of Oner Active, creative director of Promix, Forbes 30under30, and all-round girlboss. Krissy built one of the most successful fitness empires in the world through her own grit and passion, from her own hard work, and continually gives back to her community, including working with schools across the UK to host workshops for young girls on the importance of physical activity, donating activewear, and always encouraging women around the world to honour (on-er, you see where we are going with this?) their bodies everyday through movement.

Number two recommendation from me goes to Whitney Simmons (@whitneyysimmons), Gymshark and Alani Nu Athlete, and creative director of Gymshark's Adapt Collections. Whitney posts relatable content in and out of the gym, reminding us that gaining weight is not always a bad thing, and she is open about her journey with Psoriasis, proudly showing off her skin and reminding the world that your skin should never hold you back. Whitney even has her psoriasis proudly on show on the front cover of Women's Health magazine!

My final shoutout goes to Sandhya Sivakanthan (@sandsxfitness). Sandhya is a Gymshark athlete and dental student, who often posts content with her mother in the gym, laughing their way through their workouts. Sandhya and her mother serve as a beautiful reminder that working out doesn't have to be serious: it's supposed to be fun! Additionally, I think it's so heart-warming to remind us that fitness and health is for everyone, not just the young athletes you see on social media, and in fact exercise is a wonderful way to connect with your family, friends and community, making time for yourselves and each other, together.

If you aren't hooked on Instagram like me, there is still lots of conflicting advice on the TV, in newspapers, on the radio etc, and whether you are right at the beginning of your fitness journey, or 30 years in, there is always more to learn.

With that said, here are 5 tips I wish I knew when I started my fitness journey, so that you too can start strong:

1. Your body is your best friend, be grateful for its support. Your body is amazing. It carries you round every day, protecting your organs, healing you and keeping you safe. Always remember that and be grateful for your movement.

2. Missing a workout does not mean you've failed! Consistency is key to build healthy habits, but you will not lose all your progress if you miss a day or two - pick it back up tomorrow!

3. Health and fitness looks different on every body ... and everyone has different goals, different lifestyles and different diets. Focus on showing up for you, and only compare your progress against yourself, not anyone else.

4. Progress is not linear. Setbacks are normal. Life gets in the way sometimes, and that's okay. 1% improvement is still improvement. Two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward.

5. Showing up is half the battle. You got this! One day, or day one? If not now, when? The world is full of people who want to see you fail - prove them wrong. The world is also full of people who want to see you succeed - surround yourself with them.

I hope you can take something useful away from this post, and please drop me a comment below to share any tips and tricks you wish you found out sooner!

See you next time,

Amelia