How to Create Specific Fitness Goals This Season
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Setting fitness-specific goals is a great way to get going on your journey to better health, but what’s more important is taking active steps to achieve them. Unfortunately, it’s easy to lose motivation, especially during the colder months that tempt you to stay indoors curled up with a warm blanket. Now that spring and summer are upon us, it’s time to take advantage of the nicer weather and accompanying mood boost to create specific fitness goals to increase your odds of meeting your goals long after the warm weather becomes a distant memory. Use these tips from Fit Full Force Fitness Studio to stay motivated this spring, summer, and beyond.
Use the SMART Method
Self.com recommends that ambitious fitness-minded folks use SMART, an acronym that represents the process of creating specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely goals. You can use SMART for any type of fitness goal, whether it involves weight loss, strength, speed, or flexibility. SMART helps you narrow down your goal to a specific plan that you can achieve within a predetermined time frame.
Be Realistic
You probably can’t lose 100 pounds in a few months, nor can you train for a marathon in a few weeks if you’re currently not physically active on a regular basis. Aside from physical limitations, it’s also important to consider mental barriers and time restrictions when you set a specific fitness goal. For example, if there’s not an affordable gym near where you live, you might consider setting up your own home gym where you can do ab exercises, circuit training, or yoga. You can also use the arrival of spring and summer to move your workout outdoors.
Identify Why Each Goal Matters
This step falls under the “relevant” part of the SMART method, but it’s wise to do this step even if you’re not interested in the SMART approach. When you know why you want to do something, it helps you remain motivated to complete your goal. It also helps you filter out goals that don’t really matter. If you ask yourself why you want to achieve a specific fitness goal and you can’t figure out an answer, it means that goal probably isn’t very important to you. Focus on goals that have clearly defined benefits for your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Brainstorm Before Committing
If you have no idea which goal you want to focus on, create a list of potential options. As you review your list, pay attention to goals that immediately grab your attention. Put a star by those goals so you can narrow them down later. If you notice unrealistic options, such as “run a mile in 4 minutes by next month,” cross them off. Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a few goals, you can create a plan to achieve them.
Develop a Plan
Jot down a detailed plan of action for each of your goals for the long term, but be sure to create a daily plan of action as well. If you can’t figure out how to achieve a goal, switch to one that’s more attainable or ask a trusted friend or family member for suggestions. Consider investing in a smartwatch or other form of wearable fitness technology, as experts say these tools may increase motivation. If you don’t want to spend much money on fitness products, look for free smartphone apps that track your progress.
Eliminate Habits That Are Holding You Back
Setting fitness goals is great, but as you set them it is important to identify and eliminate bad habits that will hinder your success. The bad habit could be something relatively minor such as late-night snacking, which makes you prone to weight gain and heartburn, or skipping sleep and unknowingly taking a hit to your immune system, mood, and energy levels. Perhaps the habit you need to break is a little more severe such as smoking, which puts you at increased risk for heart attack, lung cancer, and emphysema. Sit back and take a serious look at the areas in your life that may be making it difficult to achieve your goals. Address them so that you can get back on the right track.
Be Mindful of Your Oral Health
Another habit which could interfere with your wellness is neglecting your oral health. A decline in oral health is linked with issues like heart disease, diabetes and stroke, so taking good care of your mouth is important. If something is holding you back, like stained teeth or misalignment, know that there are solutions. There are many whitening options available these days, and you can address alignment issues from the comfort of your own home. byte, for instance, is a convenient and affordable solution, and it’s highly rated by experts. Take steps to put an end to an embarrassing and unhealthy mouth, and replace that bad habit with a brilliant smile.
It’s difficult to achieve vague fitness goals, so make sure you establish specific plans for what you want to achieve. Don’t forget to acknowledge your achievements throughout the year; even small accomplishments are important when it comes to your health.