Emma Radebaugh
Not knowing how or where to start when embarking on a fitness journey can feel overwhelming. Having a broad goal in mind is a good place to start, but the key to obtaining success in your fitness journey is to break down your goal into realistic steps. We’ve compiled a list of helpful tips for approaching your fitness goals in a manageable and less intimidating way.
Consider Your Day-to-Day Schedule
Knowing your day-to-day schedule is essential for setting your fitness goals. You should determine how many days a week you can commit to going to the gym or moving your body based on your weekly availability.
For example, if you work or attend classes four days a week from the early afternoon to the late evening, you should make it your goal to work out at least three times a week in the early mornings. Be realistic with yourself and work with your schedule. The more you follow a routine, the easier it will be to remain consistent.
Take It Slow
Don’t rush into your goals. You may feel like you want to achieve a certain goal in a specific timeframe, but the reality is that you can’t rush progress and growth. For example, if you want to maximize your endurance, you should focus on slowly increasing your time spent on cardio machines. For example, you can enhance your home elliptical workouts instead of trying to sprint for hours on end.
Taking it slow allows you to focus on your strengths and weaknesses so that you can focus on form, endurance, and safety instead of immediate results.
When goal setting, you should say, “Today I will run for 45 extra seconds on the treadmill,” instead of, “I need to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes, or I will fail.” This will make a difference in your journey. If you do this week by week, you will find yourself more in tune with your journey and your goals.
Make an Action Plan
Forming an action plan is essential. After all, goals without actionable steps are just dreams. Write down how you will obtain your goal and the steps needed to accomplish them. Instead of saying, “I need to shed these five pounds!” You should instead write down the days and times of the week you will go to the gym, the grocery list items you need to change your eating, and how many calories you will need to cut from your diet to achieve a caloric deficit. Making an action plan will help you determine how to get from point A to point B.
You can achieve your fitness goals by being patient with yourself, creating a realistic schedule, and making actionable steps. Be intentional and take the journey one day at a time!
