Avoid these common pitfall most newbie runners make

1. Analysis Paralysis

I have a friend who spends more time planning and preparing than doing the actual activity that will make him healthier.

Most people looking to get in better shape will generally experience some sort of ‘analysis paralysis’ — a state of overanalyzing or overthinking a situation so much that it causes you to become “paralyzed” in making a decision. This state of mind will limit your ability to take action instead of just doing it.

The best place to start is always with what you have. You don’t need any fancy running shoes, clothes or gadgets. Just put on your favorite pair of shoes and do it.

The first time is always going to be uncomfortable. No amount of planning, purchasing, or prepping will prepare you for that. There’s no substitute for just doing it.

So don’t get paralyzed searching for the latest shoes, shirts, or gadgets. Just go out and run. Eventually, better gear may help. But don’t let the lack of it be what stops you from getting started in the first place.

2. “I don’t like working out.”

Most of us generally understand how to get in better shape: Eat better, workout more.

While the strategy is pretty simple, it’s not always easy to follow it. Whether it’s fear of failure or embarrassment or general misunderstanding, I constantly hear excuses as to why people can’t get in shape.

“I don’t like working out.” is the king-daddy of them all.

There are always going to be things in life that we don’t like to do. Oftentimes, it’s these things we don’t like to do that provide us with the most benefit of all. And working out is no different.

Treat it like a job. Or like a shower. Or just treat it like something you have to get in every day (or every other day), regardless of what’s going on in your life.

Whatever the strategy, treat it as it is — something to keep your body and mind running in tip-top shape.

I don’t know many people that go more than a day without showering. So why do we go weeks, sometimes even months, without working out?

3. “But where/how do I start?”

To get healthier you have to start where you are. You have to do what you can, with what you’re given.

• If you can’t run 10 miles, run one instead.
• If you can’t run a mile, fine, go for a walk around the neighborhood instead.
• If you can’t walk, fine, try just standing up out of the chair 5 times.

Everyone is in a different spot — different circumstances, different situations, different energies — but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something.

To get in better shape, you have to start somewhere. You have to start where you’re at, with what you’re given. That could mean just taking the stairs at work, opting for the salad at lunch, or going for some evening walks with your spouse after dinner.

4. Waiting for the Perfect Moment

People who want to get in shape are constantly waiting for the conditions to be perfect. For the stars to align and the motivation to kick them in the butt and drive them forward.

It’s totally understandable. It’s hard starting something new, let alone trying to change your habits and body all in one go of it. Perfect conditions would be ideal.

But, this mentality isn’t going to work because the perfect moment won’t ever come. It’s a fantasy. A hoax. Things are NEVER going to be perfect when you’re getting started.

The conditions will never be perfect. It’s going to be difficult whether you start now or Monday morning. You’ll sweat just as much, feel just as sore, and struggle just the same.

The only difference between starting now and Monday morning is that you’ll feel better and more confident come Monday if you started today.

5. Fully Commit

Before you lift one dumbbell, take one step or start a single workout, you first have to commit to actually making a change.

If you really want to make a change — whether it’s getting healthier, feeling better, or even getting abs — you have to be willing to give something up.

It’s not enough to just say you want to get in better shape. You have to be willing to actually make a change in your life.

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

• It could be exercising 30 minutes a day, 4x per week. That’s a big change.
• It could be swapping takeout for lunch with a salad you brought from home. That’s a big change.
• It could be refusing to buy junk food at the store. That’s a big change.

Whatever it it is, no matter how big or small, in order to change your body, you first have to be willing to change your lifestyle.

Source : Medium