Here are six tips to help you reach your fitness goals this year!
1. Know your “what” as well as your “why.”
Once you’ve created goals for the new year, take some time to think about why these goals are important to you. Why do you want to accomplish these goals? Understanding the purpose behind your goals helps you stay motivated throughout the year. Then when you’re not feeling motivated to stick to your workout routine or food plan, you can get back on track by revisiting why your goals are important to you.
2. Create a plan.
Setting a yearly fitness goal is great, but it’s only one part of the goal-setting process. Another critical step is to make sure you have a plan for accomplishing your goal. Without this plan, you may never realize success as your goal will keep getting pushed into the future. Set a deadline for when you want to achieve your goal this year, and then outline a plan for how you’ll make it happen.
3. Keep it simple.
Your goal and plan don’t need to be overly complicated to achieve results. Getting fit and staying healthy is pretty straightforward. Make sure you have a consistent workout routine, and you’re eating healthy, whole, nutritious foods. By keeping things simple, you have less to keep track of and can focus on putting in the work to achieve success.
4. Be flexible.
One of the most common reasons people fail with their yearly goals (and resolutions) is a lack of patience and flexibility. You must be willing to be patient with the process to see results. Along the way, things will happen that affect your chances of success. If your goal is to eat healthy this year, at some point, you’re going to fall short. It might be a double dessert, a particular meal, a whole day of meals, or even a week of unhealthy eating. When a setback of any kind happens, even a missed workout, don’t give up entirely. Stay flexible in your approach to allow for setbacks and then get back on track as soon as you can. No one is perfect, so chasing down a goal with the perfect plan is impossible.
5. Track your progress.
Writing down your goal and tracking your progress over the next several months also increases your chances of success. You can track your progress digitally or on paper, so pick the method that works best for you. Having this record of your workouts, habit tracking, or daily meals gives you a way to see what you’ve accomplished over time. On a day that feels like you’re just stuck and not getting any closer to your goal, you can take a look back at what you’ve done so far. And then stick with it and keep going.
6. Find a supportive community.
The truth is that changing a habit is a challenge. Sure, you can go for it on your own. But surrounding yourself with a supportive community chasing similar goals has so many benefits. You’ll gain accountability from others making it more likely to stick with your goal the entire year.
The community and staff at McKendree Metro Rec Plex are here to support you in chasing down your fitness goals. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today.
