I have started my journey a million times. Every time I thought I needed to start strong. Every time I ended up giving up.
My major mistake was not listening to my body and not allowing myself the time I needed to make myself strong. When you’re new to exercise, especially when you have an injury of any kind, pushing yourself to go hard out at the beginning can be damaging.
It’s so tempting to watch videos of people doing amazing work out routines and thinking you need to do the same. Realistically you are not prepared to do that until well into your fitness journey. You’re going to end up hurting yourself physically as well as emotionally. It can be soul destroying to try your best, push yourself as hard as possible and feel like you’re failing. The old saying “Comparing your first chapter to someone’s ending is not productive” is so true when it comes to exercise. You’re not going to play a game of tennis and suddenly turn into Serena or Venus Williams. The same is true of the gym, walking, swimming, whatever exercise you pick. Allow yourself time to become strong. It’s the biggest kindness you can pay to yourself.
