5 Tips For Starting a Fitness Journey for Black Women

Happy New Year!

I think we can all agree that we're happy to have made it to the other side of 2020. Beyond the issues in the world, I was pushed further than I thought I could ever go. I was able to stick with a lot of my goals but I also gave myself the grace and space to process in order to become stronger and better.

One of my main goals for 2020 was to solidify my active lifestyle and bay-bee I think I might have done something. Because of my progress in 2020, I want to share 5 tips that I found beneficial while being on my fitness journey.

1. STOP PAYING TO GET YOUR HAIR DONE

I know it sounds crazy but hear me out. Up until March 2020, I was faithfully rocking my pixie cut. I was in the salon MONTHLY (should have been biweekly fr fr). There was something about having my hair freshly done just made me exercise averse. I wanted nothing to do with sweat which in turn would slow down my fitness routine (leg day who). Finally, I got to the point of deciding that my fitness journey was more important than my hair. It didn't matter if I got my hair done that morning, I was going to get my workout in. No matter how I wrapped my hair, an intense workout always made my neatly set curls wet and frizzy. I was no longer getting the satisfaction of having freshly done hair. I made a decision. I would grow out my hair and create a cycle of protective styling to support my active lifestyle. Currently, my hair routine includes traditional installs, braids, and blow-outs.

2. SET A SCHEDULE

It sounds simple but it's true. If you fail to plan you plan to fail. My goal for 2020 was to workout once a week. It's simple but it kept me motivated. I knew that I had the time to give so I made a decision to show up for myself. Sometimes things in life will have to become a discipline before they become a delight (a quote that continues to float around). I found joy in working out because it gave me a regimen in such uncertain times. I finally became like the people I watched, I craved working out. My once a week routine became 3-4x weekly. I pushed myself so hard that I started working out 7x a week because I wanted results. I quickly learned that I was over-exerting myself and my routine was not sustainable. The stress I was putting on my body was actually causing a stunt in my progress. I needed to slow my body down and stick to my schedule of 3-4x weekly, no matter how much I wanted to see progress. My schedule gave my body enough time to recover with the right amount of challenge. When you set your fitness schedule ask yourself these questions: Will you be able to keep up this routine once you go back to the office? Do you have more time in your schedule to give to your workouts? Is your body recovering between workouts? These questions can make sure you're challenging yourself while still maintaining balance.

3. FIND YOUR MOTIVATION

Social media is not lacking in the motivation department, however, it's important that your motivations are like your goals-- SMART. When looking for motivation, it's vital to find people that look like you, this helps to make your goals realistic. *Remember: We can live exactly the same, exercise exactly the same, and eat exactly the same and our bodies will still look different. Embrace the individuality of your body and WORK with yourself to become the best you. When it comes to motivation, I LOVE Instagram. Something about logging into IG at the start of the week and seeing the girls go in just gets me motivated. Some of my favorite IG Fitness influencers: ShayCurrieFit, ToningTone, Ajahzi, Jenna Deleon, and TutuFit.

4. DON'T FALL FOR CLICKBAIT

Before you even click on that video or on that post, you and I both know that what they're about to share is either not sustainable or very subjective to them. You have to make the decision that you're going to live an active lifestyle and by living this lifestyle, you'll achieve your goals along the way. There aren't any get fit quick tips (say that 5 times), the reality is that your fitness journey, much like anything in life requires patience and TLC. You'll get there sis. Keep your head down, focus on your goals, and grind.

5. KNOW YOUR LIMITS

Are you the type of person that self-sabotages? Or are you easily unmotivated when you don't see progress? This tip is for you. Let's get real, when it comes to the scale things can get a bit slippery. Sometimes, we see progress and we decide to lighten the load and take a week (maybe 5 months) off. Then that week starts to get longer and longer and all of a sudden it's the end of the year. Truth is, you can't check your weight. Yes, I said it. You have to ignore the scale if your prone to self-sabotaging and stopping once you see a little bit of progress. When you indulge in the cycle of seeing progress then quitting, you're simply reinforcing the mindset that living active is only for a period of time. Remember, this is a lifestyle so it doesn't matter what the scale said yesterday, I'm still going to show up. Similarly, if you're not seeing progress and you've been checking your weight consistently you need to make a decision that the number on the scale doesn't matter. Once you identify your limits, build your life around them. Protect your fitness journey like it's your peace.

I hope you found those tips helpful! I also talked about these tips on my YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss out on more content!