5 Things To Remember When Starting Your Fitness Journey

So you’ve kicked off your Kubex Fitness fitness journey. AWESOME! Over the next few months you may be faced with a few obstacles virtually EVERYONE who begins a new fitness regime runs into when they’re starting out– and we want you to know you’re not alone.

Problem, meet solution:

Feeling Low On Energy?

If you’re low on energy, there’s a few solutions. The first is usually this: chances are you’re not eating enough. Cutting calories is easy, but finding the right mix to keep you fueled? That’s going to change as you become more efficient in your workouts and your body starts changing to accommodate your new awesomeness. If you’re losing steam or crashing at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, you may want to consider adding an extra snack to your daily routine, bumping your calories by eating 2-300 calories more or even throwing a few more carbs, with an eye nutrition, not just “food”.

Sleep is also an important consideration- you’re adding more activity and using more energy, which will require recovery. Make sure you’re getting adequate, restful sleep in the range of 6-8 hours per night.

There’s quite a few factors that can play into low energy levels but the most important thing is to listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

Scale moved when it was down just yesterday?

If your scale is jumping overnight, don’t sweat it. Your fitness journey is a process and chances are, if you’re beginning to get some strenuous exercise in, there may be some water retention. Eating a salty meal can also add to water retention. Just keep in mind… it’s not fat- it’s water. Your body will run its course and equalize over the next few days- and you’ll help keep that spiraling mental worry (I gained fat after that piece of pizza!) at bay.

If your scale continues to creep up, there could be other factors at play, including muscle gain (and muscle does weigh more than fat). Do keep in mind muscle growth takes time- you may see incremental changes of 1-2 lbs. over a month or more- but if you’re losing fat, one gain may equalize the other loss.

The best way to know your progress? A monthly bodyscan. Scales are great for showing weight, but Kubex Fitness body scans cut through the clutter and establish a multitude of benchmarks, including inches lost (and where!) in relation to muscle gain.

Feeling Sore?

Keep in mind, there’s a difference between sore and PAIN. Pain won’t allow you to do much of anything and is something you should see your Doc about. Soreness, on the other hand, is from muscles being used that may not have been used in a while. Officially called DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), rest assured it’s part of the process. You’re not dying. You’re not broken. In fact, it’s a great indicator things are WORKING. So keep going– If you’re experiencing muscle soreness, it’s ok to work out and doing so can actually help alleviate that soreness. Over time, soreness will decrease as you get better and perfect your form.

Can’t Finish A Move?

Simply do YOUR best while keeping proper form. A fitness program worth its salt will always be rooted in progression. It’ll start you out in one level and take you to the next. When you’re beginning, that base level may be tough. It’s supposed to be- your body adapts to this stimulus, gets better at it and then starts kicking butt. Keep this in mind as you go through your workout. If one move is tough and you can’t keep rocking it at full intensity, drop it back a notch. Do your best there… then, if needed, drop the intensity a notch. The fact is you’re still DOING and doing your best. You keep pushing, but no to the point where you sacrifice form and create injury.

Scale Not Where You Want It To Be?

Put your scale away. You’ve been programmed to see the numbers on a scale and think that’s directly proportional to fat loss. Sure, what you weigh is an indicator… but it’s a poor one. Ultimately, it’s not the number that matters. The numbers are not what you’re after (Who ever said “Wow, He/She weighs sexy”?)- the shape of your body, the fit of your clothes, increased energy and the ability to do this week what you weren’t able to do last… those ARE. Once again, using a Kubex Fitness Body Scan once a month is an ideal way to see and measure real progress a scale won’t always reflect.

Change will come… and it’s not necessarily on the scale. In fact, some people don’t lose much weight at all, but look great regardless. Put the scale away and concentrate on performance and progress. The rest will follow.