Getting in shape to achieve your physical health goals is a lot like investing money or building a house. You have to invest upfront, and people won’t see the results until you’re finished, but you’ll never get anything back if you don’t invest. Sure, you’ll reap benefits from your physical health in the short-term, but the only way to see real long-term results is to consider the long-term. Put down the candy bar and go for a run. Even if you don’t see the results yet, you’re investing in your future health.
Whether you’re just starting a workout program or trying to maintain a healthy weight, understanding the need for strength training is an essential part of your physical fitness routine. It’s important to realize that the human body is designed to move. Movement is one of the things that kept our ancestors alive long enough to reproduce and pass on their genes. Today, we’re more likely to spend the day sitting at a desk or in a car than we are to spend the day hunting and gathering.
Ways to motivate yourself by identifying your reasons for wanting to get fit.
The best way to motivate yourself to get fit is to identify your reasons for getting fit. The more specific these reasons are, the easier it will be for you to find ways to motivate yourself to stick with your program. Some common reasons people want to get fit include:
- Wanting to look and feel better.
- Wanting to be more active.
- Preventing disease.
- Getting ready for an upcoming event.
- Wanting to live longer.
- Setting a good example for your children.
Getting fit can seem overwhelming, especially if you’ve always been a couch potato. But by identifying the reasons you want to work out, you’ll discover a whole new reason to get off the couch. Your reasons for wanting to get fit can be as simple as looking good in a bathing suit or as complex as helping your heart live longer. Whatever your reasons, they can provide you with the motivation you need to get started.
Improve your physical activity and set fitness goals
As you get older, your body changes, and your physical activity and fitness level may decrease. Whether it is the loss of bone density as you age, or a lifestyle change, staying physically active and fit is essential.
If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know I’m a big fan of making resolutions that are specific, measurable, and achievable (SMART). But is that enough to achieve your physical health goals? I don’t think so. Every successful plan for a healthy lifestyle starts with a solid foundation: your physical activity level.
Increasing set goals
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s tempting to make your goal as small as possible. After all, why set the bar high when you can get the same results with a smaller one? However, there’s a big problem with that approach. When you set a small fitness goal and succeed, you feel good – you’ve achieved your goal! But when you set a big goal and succeed, you feel great – you’ve achieved something you didn’t think you could, and that’s a huge motivational boost.
When it comes to working out, setting a small health goal can help you stay motivated and increase your chances of success. Whether you’re interested in losing weight, building muscle, or just staying fit, you need to have a plan. Write out your goals and be specific; rather than saying you want to “lose weight,” say you want to lose 20 pounds by starting the summer vacation. Once you’ve set your fitness goal, write down a plan for achieving them. That means making a schedule and sticking to it. You can’t achieve your goals if you don’t make a plan for reaching them.
Ensure your plan isn’t too easy or too hard; if it’s too easy, it won’t be a challenge, and you won’t get results. If it’s too hard, you’ll probably give up along the way.
Goal setting, exercise, and healthy habits
Researchers have found that a surprisingly small number of people reach their goals each year. In a study by the American Heart Association, only 8% of people who set New Year’s resolutions met them. Why is this? One of the biggest reasons is that people fail to plan how to reach their goals. You can succeed if you take a few critical steps to plan your goals. Before you start a goal-setting program, answer these questions: What are your eating and exercise habits? An excellent way to start a goal-setting program is to list the bad habits you want to change and transform them into healthy habits. The first step is to find out how you can make your health and fitness goals a reality.
You’ve got a goal, and you’re ready to make it happen. Then you’ve signed up for that half-marathon, which is less than three months away. You’ve got the gear; your eating habits are under control. You’ve even sent out warning letters to your lazy friends who will indeed be tempted to slack off on the couch while you’re out pounding the pavement. Everything looks good. But if you’re not careful, your fitness routine can fall apart.
Creating a daily routine
Having a routine is excellent, but making it a habit is even better. Since it’s so easy to get distracted with life, it’s easy to forget to work out or go to the gym. A routine can help remind you and keep you accountable.
Creating a routine is one of the first steps in achieving your physical health goals. It can be challenging to get started if you’ve never done it before or are coming off a significant lifestyle change.
Staying accountable
Even if you’re motivated to maintain a regular workout schedule, there’s a good chance you’ll stop going to the gym before you achieve your goals. Statistics show that most people will only stick to their health and fitness goals for about six months to a year, after which they start to slack off. Why is this? Part of the problem is that most people don’t have a strong “why” behind their goals, why they want to lose weight, or why they want to get stronger. Some of the best fitness motivation for staying on track is creating a plan and holding yourself accountable for your actions. So, how can you do that? You can start by making a plan and sharing it with a friend or family member.
Being in shape is a journey. The fact is, no one ever achieved good physical condition without having to work for it. If you try to go about it haphazardly, you are much more likely to fail than if you lay out an effective plan of action and then follow it. Once you’ve decided to take on the challenge of changing your body for the better, becoming accountable to someone else is the best way to keep yourself on track.
Tracking your progress
It’s a fact that most people who start a new workout routine quit before they’ve seen the results they were hoping for. But if you track your progress while you’re going along, you’re more likely to see results. Even if you don’t end up following through with your workout after the first few weeks, you’ll still have a record of your progress to look back on, and you’ll gain an understanding of your body and what it needs to get in shape.
Tracking your results is one of the most important things when it comes to fitness. No matter if you’re a newbie or an experienced athlete, tracking your results will help you achieve your goals. By tracking your progress, you can see how you’re doing, and it’ll help you with fitness motivation. If you’re just getting started, you can try a simple notebook. If you want more advanced tracking, there are several online apps you can use. No matter which you choose, make sure to track your progress as you go along.
Surround yourself with positive influences
Many people who are on a fitness journey look for others to walk this journey with. Some people find friends and family to support them, while others find a community of fitness enthusiasts in their area. You might notice that the people who are the most successful at achieving their fitness goals are the ones who surround themselves with positive influences. Think about it – if you were to surround yourself with people who regularly ate junk food, who never worked out, and who told you that you should give up on reaching your fitness goals, how motivated would you be? The answer is simple: not very. By finding a community of people who support your fitness goals, you will keep yourself motivated with your fitness lifestyle.
The secret to success is often found in the friends that you keep. Surround yourself with the right people, and you’ll find that your success is just around the corner. Often, people that live more active lifestyles are drawn to each other. This is because they enjoy similar activities, such as running, hiking, swimming, and biking.
Set short term goals that are achievable and measurable
I’ve always been a big believer in setting targets. Whether it’s a new year’s resolution, a resolution to run a marathon, or a goal to finish a project at work, it’s essential to set a goal and look at it as a stepping stone to achieving something better. This is why I’ve always used the “SMART” system when setting my goals. I love this system because it’s a simple way to make sure my goals are clear, measurable, and achievable. For example, if you wanted to set a goal to run a marathon, you might keep that goal in mind for quite a while.
Setting short-term achievable and measurable goals is one of the best ways to ensure lasting success when working towards your physical health goals. When you set a specific goal for yourself, you are much more likely to stay motivated and track success. Here are some tips to help keep you on the right track.
Start small with achievement to build motivation and momentum
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a big goal, like running a marathon, requires a big commitment, like training for months before the race. The problem is, this is just too much at one time. Instead, start small with an achievable goal, like running around the block, and build up your motivation and momentum.
Motivation is the spark that ignites your drive, ambition, and determination. It’s the fuel that keeps you going when you feel like giving up. So, how do you get motivated? For one, you can start small. Don’t just wait until you can run a marathon to start working out. Instead, set small, attainable goals that you can reach within a reasonable amount of time.
Doing so will build your motivation and momentum, and you’ll be more likely to stick with your workouts. Over time, you’ll be able to work up to more ambitious goals that will eventually lead to a healthier, happier you.
Alex is a passionate fitness enthusiast dedicated to helping people lead healthier, more active lifestyles. He encourages small – sustainable changes over drastic transformations and works with people to create customized wellness plans. His mission is to help others benefit from the most effective methods available, sharing tips, strategies, and health & fitness tools on Gearuptofit.com to inspire people to live their best lives.
