Your new matching set is on, your Stanley cup is filled, your energetic playlist is all cued up and you’ve decided that it’s time to officially embrace your fitness girlie era. All that’s left to do now is actually start working out…which feels a little daunting.

DW, we get it. Going from only reluctantly exercising during P.E. to buying a monthly pass for your local gym can seem like a big jump. We’ve put together some tips to make your fitness journey one that is full of healthy challenges and self-love.

Stretch and warm up properly

While social media can be a good source for finding workout tutorials, these videos often leave out one of the most important parts of exercising: stretching.

Before and after every workout, you should stretch out your muscles to avoid injuries and soreness. Before a workout, stretch out your legs by touching your toes and rolling your ankles. You can also do dynamic stretches like arm circles, lunges, high knees and hip circles to warm up.

After a workout, be sure to cool down properly, too. This can mean going on a leisurely walk to gradually slow your heart rate, rather than immediately sitting down after an intense workout. It’s also super important to stretch out afterward.

Start slow and build up

When first starting your fitness journey, it can be easy to overexert yourself and set unrealistic goals. While it’s amazing if you can lift the 30-pound weights right away, it’s better for beginners to start small and work their way up to higher intensities.

This can mean starting with shorter and less intense workouts (like jogging slowly for 30 minutes to build stamina or using lighter weights during a low-impact workout). As the weeks go by, you can increase the length of your workouts and make them more intense by adding more sets or going faster. If you increase the intensity gradually, rather than all at once, you’ll feel less burnt out, less sore and much more motivated to keep pushing yourself.

Don’t overthink it!

One of the most important parts of working out is having fun. It can be easy to get lost in all the trends and expensive athletic sets, but all that really matters is that you’re moving your body in a way that feels good—whether that looks like a 20-minute evening stroll with you sister each day, a solo 45-minute lifting session in the gym three times a week or a weekly game of pickleball with your besties. As long as you’re moving your body in a healthy way and feeling good, then you’re doing amazing!

Follow us on IG @girlslifemag for more fitness inspo!

Check out these workout articles next:
💪We just found a 20-minute workout for every day of the week
💪This is how I’m learning to run (from the girl who can’t jog a mile)
💪The Swiftie’s guide to getting started with running

Images: @reneeenoe, @styledbymckenz