How to Start a Health and Fitness DIY Journey: Simple Steps for Lasting Wellness
Tracking Progress (and Why the Scale Isn’t Always the Villain)
It’s popular these days to throw your scale in the dumpster and declare eternal freedom from numbers. There’s truth in that, for sure—scales can be insidious little liars. But I believe there’s room for all kinds of tracking, as long as it serves you, not the other way around.
For me, logging my walks in a beat-up notebook feels like a long-running love letter to myself. I’ll occasionally pull up an old page and marvel at how “easy” a mile used to feel impossible. Progress, I’ve realized, is almost never a straight line and almost always a surprise.
Pick a form of tracking—any kind—that feels empowering, not punishing. That could be how many stairs you climb, how many home-cooked meals you manage, or even how many days you manage not to secretly loathe kale. Find a ritual that roots your effort in something tangible, then let it remind you how far you’ve come, especially when you want to throw in the towel.
You Don’t Have to Go It Alone (Even When You Think You Do)
When I say “Do It Yourself,” I don’t mean you have to carve out every path in solitary struggle. The most successful journeys I’ve witnessed have always turned—somewhere along the line—into “Do It With Others.” It could be your neighbor who insists on power-walking with you at sunrise, or that wild chorus of Instagram strangers who cheer when you post sweaty selfies.
When I first tried home workouts, it was a friend sending me ridiculous TikToks of failed yoga poses that kept me going. Something about sharing the weirdness and triumphs—even the small, hilariously awkward ones—makes you feel far less alone.
If you’re shy about group classes or overwhelmed by online forums, start by telling one trusted friend about your goals. Or lurk in fabulous wellness blogs (hello, welcome to my version of group therapy) and comment when you’re ready. DIY is flexible. You decide how much community feels right, and when.
Dealing With Setbacks: The Only Rule Is Kindness
Every great story includes a plot twist or two. I wish someone had told me early on that a health journey is really just a never-ending collection of minor setbacks. You skip a week of workouts. You eat a pizza the size of a steering wheel. You catch a cold and slide worryingly close to becoming addicted to soup. It happens.
My greatest lesson, learned painfully slowly, is that relentless kindness always wins over guilt. There was a whole season where my workouts were replaced by couch marathons because of a stubborn ankle injury. Did I berate myself? Of course. Did it help? Not even a little.
Over the years, I’ve realized that treating setbacks like speed bumps, not dead ends, is where the real growth is. I now allow myself reset days, even reset months. If DIY wellness is going to last, it has to flex with you. You’re the project, remember?