How To Set Realistic Fitness Goals And Stick To Them
We all want to improve ourselves when the new year comes around, and that includes our health. So, we tend to set ourselves goals that are a little…excessive. For instance, who hasn’t told themselves that this year will be the one they want to become a fitness freak and lose a ton of weight and all that? We’ve all been there. However, when push comes to shove, these resolutions seem to fade after the first month or two and then we’re back to square one. So, what’s the key to actually achieving these seemingly impossible goals? Can they even be done with life going on simultaneously?
Be Specific
Don’t just write that you want to get in shape, because that’s not something you can track properly. If you want to go to the gym more, write down how many times a week you want to get there, what kinds of workouts you want to improve in, which muscles you want to strengthen, and so on. This will allow you to really come up with a plan you can follow and stick to.
Start Small
Don’t throw yourself into five serious workouts a week and wind up being too sore to move for the next week. Start gradually and work on making exercise a habit that becomes part of your daily routine. Think about the little things, too. Drink more water instead of soda, use stairs more rather than using the elevator, go for a grilled sandwich instead of fried. All these little things will amount to big changes in the long run.
Track Your Progress
While we hear a lot about how measuring yourself by numbers isn’t healthy, you might want to start. Doing so will allow you to see the progress you’re making and as a result, hold you accountable.
Get A Workout Buddy
There’s a reason we have more fun working out with other people. Exercising with a friend will motivate you more and make it difficult to cancel when you made up to meet ahead of time.
Make A Plan
Break down your goals into smaller steps to make it less intimidating. If you’re looking to lose a certain amount of weight over the course of a few months, break it down to how much you want to lose each week in order to reach said goal. Doing this will make it feel more doable.
Think Of Why
Of course, we all have those days when we just can’t be bothered to work out. The trick to get past this is to think of the reasons you started doing this in the first place. Writing these reasons down will help you when you’re less motivated. You’ll be able to look back at them to gain some of that motivation back!