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Summary
On episode 165 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan shares his 11 best tips for actually getting started when motivation to exercise is the hardest part.
He builds the list from the inside out: know your emotional why first, then set a vision of what health and fitness looks like for you, then set small measurable goals, and only then get into the logistics of scheduling, preparation, pacing, and accountability that make the habit stick.
The tips are aimed squarely at the person who keeps meaning to start and keeps not starting, with practical fixes for the moments that usually derail a new routine.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Know your why before anything else. An emotional reason, like wanting to keep up with a grandchild, holds up on the hard mornings in a way that wanting to look better rarely does. Allan notes his own why has changed over the decades, from performing better in football to feeling better as an adult.
- Pair your why with a clear vision of what fitness looks like for you. Getting off diabetes or blood pressure medication, having the stamina to keep up with a grandchild, or building strength to stay independent around the house are all different visions that point to different plans.
- Set small, measurable milestone goals rather than one big distant target. Allan’s own example is losing one inch off the waist, a roughly 2 percent change that feels attainable, rather than fixating on a far-off number that feels overwhelming.
- Focus narrows the plan so it actually works. Trying to build strength, cardio, and balance all at once usually means accomplishing none of them well. Choose exercises that serve the specific goal in front of you right now.
- Preparation removes decisions at the moment willpower is weakest. Packing a gym bag by the door and batch cooking meals for the week means there is nothing left to decide after a tiring day, which is exactly when a fast food run becomes tempting.
- Schedule workouts like a meeting you cannot skip. Allan compares a workout appointment to a meeting with your boss, since you are the only one who can advocate for your own health, and treats the calendar slot as non-negotiable.
- Progress slowly to avoid the injury and soreness spiral. A brutal first gym session followed by days of soreness often leads to skipped workouts and overeating to compensate. Start light, learn the form, and increase mileage by no more than about 10 percent a week.
- Be good to yourself and expect the scale to lie sometimes. Weight can bounce up for reasons unrelated to real progress, so Allan prefers measuring inches, and stresses building a supportive inner voice rather than a critical one.
- Bring in a friend or a trainer for accountability. A workout partner does not need the same why or vision, just overlapping goals, and the Hawthorne effect means people push harder when someone is watching. A trainer adds structure, progression, and check-ins on top of that.
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 189 – Making fitness a lifelong habit with Kathleen Trotter