Fitness Goals
How long have you been telling yourself you're going to lose those pesky 10 or 20 pounds? Do you start over every Monday morning? We start the week with good intentions, but then life gets in the way and we revert back to our old habits. It helps to have a plan of how to get beyond the typical barriers that get in the way of achieving our goals. We all have good intentions, but we need to have the right tools in place in order to be successful and make our goals a reality.
- Set short-term daily goals and start small. If you are able to have success at the smaller, easier to achieve goals, you will feel an emotional boost and be more likely to continue toward your long-term goal.
- Schedule time to exercise in your calendar. Just like meetings or various medical appointments, if you schedule this into your day, you are much more likely to adhere to the plan.
- Identify possible barriers and plan for them. If you drive right past your favorite coffee shop or fast food restaurant on your daily route, change it up! Go a different way. If you have a certain time of day when you always feel tired and feel like reaching for that bag of unhealthy snacks, plan for it. Take a quick walk around the block instead. Have a healthy snack before this time arrives to give your body the fuel to help avoid the craving.
- Set a long-term goal with an exact date. Sign up for a Charity walk or run that is 3-4 months away. Plan for a trip on a beach or an active vacation.
- Use an App. There are many fitness related apps available that can help you track your daily activity and diet. Having something that holds you accountable on a daily basis may just give you the extra boost to stick to it.
- Reward yourself. We all need a little motivation to help us reach our goals. Make a lunch date with a friend or buy a new piece of fitness apparel. Find a picture to represent your reward and post it on your refrigerator or bulletin board as a daily reminder.
