The ability to set and keep to fitness goals is a serious challenge to many people today. I am sure there are times when you might have said, “I will begin to visit the gym three times a week and workout for the entire month.” But unfortunately, you end up quitting at some point or skipping your routines. You need to know how to set fitness goals and keep to them.
Setting achievable fitness goals and keeping them could be a very difficult task for you. But when you focus on the rewards of being committed to your goals, you will definitely stick to it. However, the truth is that it is not as easy as it seems.
Today, you’ll find out how to set fitness goals and keep to them. But before that, why is keeping to fitness goals a challenge.
Reasons why achieving your fitness goals is a challenge
1. Procrastination – Procrastination is a major goal killer, and it usually gets worse as you keep procrastinating.
2. Loss of enthusiasm – Losing the will to work out could cause you to lose focus on achieving your fitness goals.
3. Poor results – When we don’t see immediate results, we could get distracted and lose focus.
How to set and achieve fitness goals
Here are 10 steps that’ll aid you to properly plan your fitness goals and keep to them.
1. Achieve it mentally:
If you imagine yourself doing something that you find difficult, it becomes easier. Think of yourself exercising and working out. It starts by mentally succeeding.
How To Set Fitness Goals And Keep To Them
2. Write down your fitness goals:
The next step is to write down your fitness goals. This is where you write down what you want to achieve. Do you want to lose weight? Get ripped abs? Get a toned body? Or generally, want to stay fit regularly? Pen it down. Write down why you want to do it, and what you will gain when you finally achieve it. Keep it safe and read it once in a while.
3. Make your goals S.M.A.R.T:
Just like any other goal, a fitness goal needs to be S.M.A.R.T.
After writing your goal, you should make sure it is measurable, achievable, and reasonable. It should also have a time frame for which it will be achieved.
4. Plan and research:
It’s important to do research regarding the fitness goals and exercises that will best suit your plans.
5. Break down your goals:
Breakdown your goals and achieve them little by little. Start by doing the simplest tasks and then gradually progressing to bigger ones. This will help you to avoid procrastination and keep you focused.
6. Create a backup plan:
It is essential that you have a backup plan so that you can easily maneuver any obstacle. For example, an issue or an event could come up that might cause you to miss a workout. A good back up plan for that would be exercising another time of that day.
Having a backup plan keeps you flexible.
7. Work with a fitness partner:
fitness partner will help you stick to your plans by providing you with friendly competition. This can help maintain your enthusiasm towards getting fit and achieving your goal.
8. Be consistent as possible:
When you regularly stick to your plan and exercise on a consecutive basis, you are sure going to achieve your goal. But if you miss a single workout, you will end up missing subsequent ones and hence allow procrastination to overwhelm you.
9. Keep a fitness diary:
Note down the progress you’ve made and the problems you have encountered. Additionally, include what you are dieting, so you can find out what is working for you. This allows you to adjust your workout accordingly, and you can focus on problem areas.
10. Get up from setbacks immediately:
When you work towards any goal, there are bound to be setbacks and failures. Make sure you get up, keep going, and work harder. There will be times when you will feel that you are not making progress. That’s why you need to keep motivating yourself.
In truth, keeping setting fitness goals and strictly keeping to them is never easy. But remember this, critical planning will help you set goals, the commitment will help you keep to them, and hard work will you achieve them.
