There are times in life where we wish we had all of the answers, and while that’s kind of possible in the age of the internet, there are some things you just need to learn from experience.

When I first started working out, I thought progress would be more obvious, with faster results, bigger changes, and an instant confidence boost.

Spoiler alert! This isn’t how it works, unfortunately.

What I didn’t realize back in 2023 is fitness isn’t just about working out until you get huge muscles. It’s about building a habit, finding the workouts that bring you the most joy, and learning how to work with your body, not against it.

If I could talk to my beginner self, here’s what I’d say and I hope this helps you avoid some of the frustration I went through.

Building habits takes time

This one feels like a no brainer, but I can tell you for sure that trying to get myself to workout a few days a week to begin with was so hard.

I started off by doing a couple of days here and there, but once I managed to be consistent doing 5 days a week for a couple of months I felt able to stick to my routine.

One thing that made it easier was letting myself know it’s okay to do the workouts when I felt like doing them. So that meant if I felt too tired to do them at 7 a.m. then I could do them later in the day. What mattered is I got to them eventually to build the daily habit.

I have come to realize I prefer morning workouts because it gets them out of the way and leaves less room for distractions and procrastination. You may find afternoons suit you better. What matters is you do them when you feel like doing them.

Growing pains are real and stretching helps

If someone had told me that stretching more before and after workouts could help ease muscle pain I would’ve done it from the beginning. It wasn’t until a few months in I started adding Mindful Cooldown’s to my routine.

Then, after a few months of doing post-workout stretches, I added in yoga workouts to really get deeper stretches that incorporated balance and core strength.

Now, I’m so grateful for being able to stretch a lot easier than I used to because I’ve had practice. I live for some good Pigeon, Butterfly, Low Ninja, and Downward Facing Dog poses. Anything that opens up my legs and hips are fantastic seeing as I enjoy running so much.

I will also suggest investing in a massage gun or getting massages every now and then to help release muscle tension. Even getting your partner to give you some help can be better than nothing when it comes to releasing muscle tension.

Listen to your body – It’s not all about hitting the max

I know it’s tempting to lift as heavy as you can or run as fast as you can go, but this is where you can injure yourself quickly.

I regret trying to lift heavy too soon because I definitely strained a few muscles in the processes. I felt bad because I couldn’t lift as heavy when it came to working smaller muscle groups with lateral and front raises. Now I’m grateful for the progress I’ve made, going from 5 pound dumbbells to 10 pounds for those moves.

The temptation is to be “like everyone else” but you need to remember we all start from somewhere and showing off gets you nowhere. The only person you should want to impress is yourself.

Give yourself time to recover

It’s absolutely okay to take a day off or two from working out. I know you’ve probably heard this before, let alone from me a couple of times, but it’s true. We all need a rest from hard work.

I’m still trying to instill it in myself because I know I feel better when I do take a break. If you find it hard like me you could try active recovery days where you do a lighter load in terms of workouts. Maybe do a day of yoga and stretches rather than any cardio or strength training.

Comparison is the thief of joy

It’s hard to do, but please try not to compare yourself to other people. Your progress is your own and we are all built differently. Our uniqueness can be our strength and we can all be striving for different fitness goals.

Whether it’s wanting to run an achievable distance, lift certain weights, or do a certain amount of reps, what matters is it’s your goal to achieve.

Consistency beats intensity

A huge thing I’ve learned is being consistent is what makes the most impact. That’s where I’ve seen the most progress. Even on my days where I’m running low on motivation or I’m just feeling drained, doing a little of something is enough to keep me feeling strong.

I like to keep track of which workouts I haven’t done in a while so I fit them into my routine again. This stops me from getting out of practice and keeps me progressing in areas I may be weaker in.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started your fitness journey?