Gold medal inspiration: kick-starting your post-Olympics fitness journey

Walking is perhaps the easiest and most accessible form of exercise – and it begins as soon as you step out of your front door. Doing as little as 15-20 minutes of walking per day can be a great way to get back into exercising; it’s low impact, requires no special equipment and is good for both your cardiovascular and mental health. As your stamina and fitness improves, you can start to increase the duration and intensity of your walks – or even consider another form of activity you might like to take up next.

It’s important not just to dive into a challenging new routine without a plan – you run the risk of pushing yourself too far too soon, burning out before you’ve hit your stride and maybe even doing yourself an injury. The first thing to do is take a good look at your current fitness levels and assess what you’re capable of doing. If you have any existing health concerns, it might be a good idea to have a check-up with your doctor to establish what kind of exercise could benefit you.

Once you know what kind of exercise you want to do, set realistic, achievable goals that you can work your way towards gradually. Don’t try and do everything all at once – for example, if your goal is to ultimately run 5k, start off with short, manageable distances and increase slowly from there.

One of the most effective ways to stay motivated – and to maybe even receive guidance on how much activity is right for you – is by joining a fitness group or class. Whether it’s online or in real life, being part of a group keeps you accountable while also providing surefire support and encouragement to keep going. For example, if you’re a runner (or even just a walker), taking part in parkrun immediately connects you to a massive worldwide community that stages a huge number of 5k runs in a variety of countries every Sunday, as well as the infrastructure to keep track of your times and achievements as you progress.

Whatever your chosen activity, technology can be an excellent tool for keeping track of your progress as you take your fitness journey. Smartwatches and phones can count your steps, for example, if you’re looking to hit a specific daily step count in your walking. Meanwhile, the Couch to 5K app provides you with a complete schedule to work through on the way up to running 5k, making sure that you progress at a sensible pace and don’t try to go too far (or too fast) too soon. Whether you need a guided workout, nutrition advice or community support, you can rest assured: there’s an app for that.

Recognising and acknowledging your progress is incredibly important: it provides the positive reinforcement you need to keep going and take notice of improvements in your fitness levels. So however small the goal you achieve – it might be walking an extra five minutes, lifting a slightly heavier weight, or completing your 5k run a few seconds faster – you should always take a moment to pat yourself on the back and maybe even reward yourself with something to mark the occasion.

The best way to maintain a healthy fitness routine is to listen to your body and make sure you don’t push through pain or discomfort – because going too hard and injuring yourself is the best way to derail your fitness journey, forcing you to take a break and perhaps lose any momentum you have built up.

So pay attention to your body: you might feel a bit sore when you’re starting a new routine – that’s normal – but any sharp pain is a sign that something is wrong and you need to stop. You can feel a blister developing? Get a Compeed plaster on there before it stops you in your tracks.

Finally, make sure you give yourself time to rest and recover between periods of activity, stay hydrated, and eat a balanced, nutritious diet. Keeping fit means ensuring your body has the downtime to heal, as well as the fuel it needs to keep going.

The feats of Olympic athletes are an incredible example of what your body can do when you push it to the limits of achievement – but the Olympic dream is about more than being the best in the world. Take inspiration from the perseverance of the Olympians by keeping your eye on the prize as you embark on the fitness journey that’s right for you; the one that helps you stay healthy, happy and motivated.