Countless fit pros post something to the effect of “you don’t need to wait until you are fitter to go to the gym…that’s like (insert car engine or learning a musical instrument ability here)” every year.

Though this point often has merit, so does the opposite.

The well-established transtheoretical model of behavior change explains pretty clearly how we aren’t always ready for action but that this doesn’t mean we aren’t motivated. It is an expected and necessary part of a change to toggle back and forth between stages so that when we do take action, we have done the leg work and worked out the kinks.

The well-intentioned sentiment of “just do it” as an intervention can often backfire. Diving in without some momentum or some battle scars can swallow people whole and spit them out in February. This is in my opinion why there are so many failed health and fitness resolutions.

Because people dive in for some reason or another. Be it desperation, social obligation, or the sheer repetitive nature of “this is what I do in January year after year”.

There are things we can do to begin to dip our toes into the water to prepare us for a more successful transition to training with a trainer or joining a gym. Here are a few simple and big impact actions/behaviors that apply to most if not all goals of improved health and fitness.

1. Quality sleep. Aim for the same 7-9 hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep per night.

2. Eat your veggies. Aim for 1 fruit and/or vegetable at most if not all meals.

3. Movement. Aim for a minimum of 5k steps per day. Look to add 10% to whatever you’re doing now as additional.

4. Protein. Aim for 0.8g per 1lb of body weight per day from mostly unprocessed sources (if you weigh 200lbs, aim to eat 180-200g of protein per day).

5. Lower your stress. Aim to limit stressful interactions or have methods that alleviate your stress without contributing more in the back end (getting smashed on a Friday after a stressful week only to be hungover on a Saturday for example). Think walking in nature, reading a book, talking to loved ones, cooking a meal, etc. basically something that occupies your mind, effort, snd attention that you don’t find stressful.

Behaviors like this are foundational whether you’re training at the gym, meeting with a trainer, or doing daily peloton classes or not.

This is action.

This is healthy behavior.

This is motivation.

Work to define improved health and fitness on your own terms, and when you’ve built some momentum up, adding in the life-giving (I am a personal trainer after all) strength training at the gym with a trainer will be an exciting and fulfilling doddle.