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In life, we're told to dream big. Reach for the stars. Go for the gold. While I think everyone would agree that having big aspirations is admirable not to mention inspiring, you should take a more calculated approach when setting fitness goals. It may seem counterintuitive to start small, but remember that you want to set yourself up for success not burnout or injury. Think about it. How many times have you or someone you know set a huge goal to lose 50 or more pounds, or exercise for an hour six days a week, only to fall off the wagon a few weeks (or days) later? The truth is that even when people have the best of intentions and the willpower to set out and do something grand, without a plan and a smart goal, they stumble—and are more likely to fail. When you first set a goal, you're full of energy and completely motivated, but over time those feelings can wane and your overzealousness can push you to do too much too soon. The fix is to define a progressive set of fitness goals that build on one another to help propel you toward that big dream or aspiration. Breaking a big goal into smaller, realistic goals can help you both mentally and physically. This method can also help you improve your fitness level gradually and safely, which helps to build confidence. The first step to setting realistic goals is to really think about your goal and write it down. Then, ask yourself these three questions: smaller goalwithin your reach
2. What does it take to achieve the goal? This question addresses your goal's frequency. If reaching your goal requires five workouts a week, but you can only get a babysitter two days a week, then you need to scale back your goal. Be realistic about what time you have to devote to the goal and be honest about your fitness level. Building your fitness base takes time, and being smart about increasing it will help you stay injury-free. As a general rule, never increase your weight lifted or your minutes exercised by more than 10 percent in any given week. Slow and steady really does win the race! 3. Can you see yourself reaching the goal? You want a program that you can stick with for the long haul—not just this week. Be completely honest with yourself and ask if you can realistically see yourself doing what it takes to achieve the goal at hand. If you can and it meets the above criteria, then you probably have a goal ! Continued › |
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Fitness Articles › Pitfalls and PlateausAre Your Fitness Goals Realistic?Forget Failure. Set Yourself Up for Success!-- By Jennipher Walters, Certified Personal Trainer & Fitness InstructorSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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Jennipher Walters
Jennipher is a certified personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and lifestyle and weight management consultant. She blogs regularly about her own fitness adventures at www.fitbottomedgirls.com. See all of Jenn's articles. |
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Member Comments
Sheila - 5/21/2013 9:14:26 PM
Also, where can I find that cool looking journal?? - 1/12/2013 4:46:57 PM
as a small irony- one of the ads next to this article on my computer was for "Sensa" which purports to help you lose weight without work! Look, Ma, no goals needed! (at least the goal they noted is probably attainable with healthy eating and exercise ie. 50# in 6 months -albeit you'd have to work for it ) - 10/1/2012 10:59:36 AM
If you do start out with 10 minutes, you have to be prepared to add more minutes as soon as you feel you can, 10 minutes a day is not enough to get a cardio workout. You also have to warm up and cool down. So take all in to consideration. - 9/12/2012 9:29:43 AM