Physical Preparation When Starting a New Activity
So you’re about to start a new activity and you’ve set yourself up for success by reading and applying our advice given on our mental preparation blog, now it’s time to start the physical preparation!
When we talk about physical preparation we are not talking about stretching before an activity or anything that requires preparing your bones or muscles per se. Instead, we are talking about the things that you need to physically prepare before you start your activity to set yourself up for success, things such as equipment, space, time, and rewards.
We are going to discuss our top 4 tips to get you physically prepared to start your new activity:
Get the right equipment:
Every activity requires some sort of equipment. Running requires running shoes, biking requires a bike, yoga requires a mat etc. Knowing the equipment that you need for your activity and spending some time researching the right equipment for your specific goals can make a world of a difference when starting a new habit. For example, you decided that this year you will take up running, you remember that there is an old pair of running shoes in your closet, you bring them out only to notice that the sole is pretty much non-existent but decide to wear them anyways. At first this might not seem like a bad idea, however, running with shoes that don’t have proper support can lead to falls, blisters and overall discomfort, this will then result in lack of confidence and enjoyment in your new activity which can hinder your journey to establishing your new habit. On the other side, if you research good shoes for running and you invest in your equipment, you will feel safer and sturdier in your new activity, therefore increasing your confidence and competence to accomplish your new goals. Remember that getting the right equipment does not mean that you have to spend a lot of money. If you want to find out more about how to get the right equipment for less, check out our barriers to physical activity posts on instagram and facebook.
Pick a space or a route that fits your needs
Just like equipment, every activity requires a different space. Creating a designated space in your house if your activity can be done indoors or pre-planning a route if your activity requires you to go outside can do wonders to your commitment to your new habit. Doing this is especially important as we continue to navigate COVID since doing this can keep you and others safe. Thinking about your space or route in advance is not only beneficial when it comes to safety, it can also help you be more efficient with your activity since your space and equipment will already be set up or your planned activity, allowing you to only focus on getting started. Lastly, setting up a space or route in advance can also help your accountability since it will give you one less reason to skip your activity once it comes time to start.
Setting up a space/ route can look like this:
Laying out your yoga mat the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning
Putting your running shoes and running gear on your bedside table so that you can get dressed first thing in the morning and go.
Looking up a bike-friendly route in your neighborhood and making sure the distance is within your range.
Write down your bodyweight workout so you have a visual whenever you go to do it
Set a time to do your activity in advance:
Setting a time to do your new activity in advance can be extremely beneficial when you are starting a new activity. When you take the time to plan your next day, week or month you can take the time to make sure that your activity is balanced (i.e you have enough time to stretch and cool down before and after your activity), you are incorporating rest (i.e you have enough rest days to help you recover from your activity) and you are meeting your short and long term goals.
Additionally, setting a time to do your activity in advance can help you keep yourself in check when it comes to how much time you can allot to your new activity. This will also give you a chance to examine your energy levels throughout the day in advance to help you see when in the day you might be more energized and therefore ready to tackle your new activity.
Have a reward in mind to keep you motivated:
Rewards can be anything meaningful to you like watching a TV show you want, getting a massage, sleeping in, or even grabbing yourself a coffee once a week. Extrinsic motivators like this one can help you get started on your journey, however, the ultimate goal is to be intrinsically motivated so that your rewards can go from getting to grab a beer after a week of working out to just loving the feeling you get after an activity or looking forward to morning workouts just because you love the energy boost you get!! Starting and continuing an activity requires constant motivation, the two most common types of motivation are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is motivation that comes inwardly, while extrinsic motivation comes from outside sources like rewards. When starting a new activity, focusing on extrinsic motivators can be a useful tool since you can look for something tangible to work towards as a reward, which will allow you to focus on immediate gratification.
Take some time this week to physically prepare for your new activity. Remember that your journey is unique and requires constant commitment and work, but by applying these few tips you can get one step closer to establishing your healthier lifelong habits!