Persevering in your fitness journey

A month ago, Jerry Bagwire, 40, started jogging every Saturday and Sunday morning. He wakes up at about 6am and jogs for about two hours around his neighbourhood in Namugongo, a Kampala suburb. 
“It is exhausting. In the beginning, I would wonder why I was subjecting my body to all that physical punishment. However, overtime, the exercise is beginning to pay off. I have not only become physically fit but also, lost a lot of unwanted weight,” he says.

It is because of these rewards that Bagwire says he will continue exercising, however hard it is. There is no gain without pain, even in fitness, says John Kiwanuka, a fitness instructor. 
“You must be willing to go through pain in order to achieve the kind of results you desire,” says Kiwanuka. 
Some people, however, are not always willing to withstand the pain, so they give up along the way, says Kiwanuka.

“These are people you will find complaining that exercise is hard and they cannot take it anymore and so, along the way, they give up, something I totally discourage. When you sign up for something, ensure that you see it to the end, until you have attained the set targets,” Kiwanuka says.
 
Have a mentor
Sometimes attaining fitness targets and goals is difficult when you do it alone. “It is easy to give up on a routine when you do not have someone pushing you,” says Kiwanuka.
For this reason, he advises individuals who are embarking on a fitness journey to either get a mentor or coach who will guide and give them crucial advice along the way.  And this is what Karen Kaijuka did a few years ago when she decided to learn swimming. 

“I got a fantastic swimming coach who not only taught but encouraged me on occasions I wanted to give up especially when some swimming strokes were proving hard to learn,” says Kaijuka. 

One day at a time
The challenge for most people is looking for quick results. 
“Someone will go to the gym and if they do not see desired results within a week, they walk out and never return,” says Micheal Kirunda, a fitness instructor. 
“However, results take time to mature. You can, for example, say that you are dedicating three days a week for gym that is, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And while there, just work out for two hours. If you are consistent with your programme, the results will begin to manifest over time,” he says. 

Sometimes, routines need one to exercise a lot of patience when performing them. Sylvia Nankya, says when she was learning how to swim some years ago, performing the breast stroke (a technique which requires pulling the hands and kicking the legs) frustrated her a lot. 
“It took me months to perfect my the breast stroke technique and I persevered because someone told me to keep practising and that one day, I would be great at it,” she says. 

The practice paid off. Not only did Nankya perfect her technique but today, she also participates in different swimming tournaments within and out of the country. 
So, for anyone embarking on a fitness journey, Nankya’s advise is, “Persevere, be committed to the craft and be patient. Eventually, you will begin to see the rewards of your efforts.”