7 Tips to Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals
January is the most popular month for making health and fitness New Year’s resolutions, and if you have any intention of sticking to this year’s goal, it’s time to get started. To help you start on the right track, here are some of our favorite tips and tricks to help you achieve your goals.
Expectations
The first step is to be realistic about your expectations. This means you’re going to have to limit the amount of time you decide to put into your fitness journey. If you think you can become a fitness fanatic overnight, perhaps you should reconsider what you think is realistic.
Determine Your Goal
Without a specific destination, it’s hard to know how far you’ve come or how far you still have to go. It’s important to determine your goal and make it specific by giving it a number. For example, if your goal is losing weight, how much weight do you want to lose? If your goal is being in better shape, determine how fit you want to be. Being in better shape might mean completing a 5K run or simply lifting more weight in the gym.
Coaching from an Expert
If you are looking for ways to better shape this year, find an expert who can motivate you. Whether it’s a professional trainer or someone who has had similar goals and achieved them, it can help to not be alone in your journey. Ask friends and family for recommendations. For instance, if you are looking for a personal trainer, ask around and ask pertinent questions. Questions such as “Who has had a positive experience?” and “Who has had a negative experience?” will get you the information you need
Be willing to start slowly
If you want to get fit, you should be willing to start slowly. Many people embark on a physical fitness program with the idea that they will get all in shape in one day, but this is almost guaranteed to drive you to distraction. The first week of any new regimen will be difficult, and if it isn’t, you aren’t doing enough. If you want to achieve your goals and get into shape, you must prioritize them.
If you have a full-time job and are trying to get back into shape, try dividing your workout time into three different times throughout the day. Splitting it up over the day won’t be as much of an interruption to your daily routine.
Track your progress
Apps like Fuelband and FitBit allow you to track steps and other physical activities. Some even have WiFi scales that sync with the app to track their weight. Other apps are available to measure heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels, stress and more.
Incorporate Yoga In Your Fitness Routine
Adding Ashtanga Yoga to your daily workout routine can positively affect your mental and physical health. Aside from alleviating stress and anxiety, yoga increases flexibility and is a powerful way to achieve better posture for improved balance and coordination. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, build muscle, or improve overall fitness, integrating yoga exercises into your routine can help. Make the most of your workout by choosing poses that target specific areas of the body.
Create a schedule
After setting goals, create a schedule around when you will work out when you will eat healthy foods, when you will rest and when you will have downtime. Schedule a reward for when you achieve your goals.
- Set smaller goals and milestones.
- Tell people about your goal or set up a Facebook page to document your progress.
- Don’t allow it to be the end of your goals if you fail. Start fresh the next day and improve your plan to achieve it next time.
- Finally, know that it will be hard work, and you need to be dedicated to succeed.
By creating a schedule and sticking to it, you’re more likely to achieve your goals.
Find people who also want to get fit and create accountability by giving each other assignments for the week or each workout for the day. You can also get even more social by getting into a group fitness class at a local gym or even finding people with similar goals to be in a workout challenge together.
Finally, don’t forget to remind yourself how far you’ve come every time you fall off the wagon – that way, the next time a slip happens, you’ll have the tools and know-how to right yourself quicker than before.
