Your ultimate goal is to look and feel your best. Great start! How can you achieve this? By making fitness a priority, of course.
Whether your fitness goals include running a marathon, becoming a full-fledged gym rat, or just working out a few more times a week, here are a few tips and tricks you can use to help you achieve them.
#1 Get Organized, Get Specific, Get Going
Before you lace up your running shoes or unroll your yoga mat, set aside some time to do a little self-reflection. Outlining your specific goals and creating a roadmap for how you plan to achieve them is key to making your fitness dreams become a reality. Here’s how:
- Write down (or type out) your fitness goals
- Post your goals somewhere you’ll see them every day
- Determine how you’re going to measure your progress
- Create a reward system for yourself (we’ll talk more about this later)
- Think about who you’re going to rely on for motivation when you need it
#2 Keep an Open Mind
As important as it is to have concrete goals, it’s equally (if not more) important to be flexible and adaptive when it comes to your fitness. Maybe you started going to spin classes only to discover you’d rather bike outside. Maybe you started working out by yourself at the gym and now envy the people taking group classes.
Listen to yourself—and your body, while you’re at it.
If you get injured or start experiencing abnormal fatigue, you might need to adjust your workouts. There’s no shame in trusting yourself and pivoting your goals when you need to.
#3 Tools of the Trade
Having the right tools at your fingertips will make it a lot easier to stay on track. Plus, there’s a variety of workout clothes, gear, and accessories that can help you reach your goals.
You’ve probably seen lists of tech gifts for runners or stocking stuffers for gym bunnies, and there’s a reason why fitness gifts and gadgets are so coveted—they can make a huge difference in your health and happiness.
Take a look at a few fitness must-haves:
- Quality pair of running shoes
- Fitness tracker
- Functional gym bag
- Set of at-home weights
- Yoga mat
- Insulated water bottle
#4 Be Proud of Yourself (and Don’t Be Afraid to Show It!)
Since goal-setting is about looking towards the future, it’s easy to forget to congratulate yourself for the great work you’re doing right now. Reaching your ultimate fitness goal may take some time, but it’s important to remind yourself that you should be proud of your journey.
Treating yourself to a few healthy rewards for sticking to your workout routine can help you stay motivated. If a day at the spa or a weekend getaway is what it takes to keep you encouraged, do what you have to do!
There is one caveat to this tip: we don’t recommend rewarding yourself with unhealthy food or an elusive “cheat day.” Fostering a healthy relationship with food is a big part of leading a healthy lifestyle, and using food as a reward (or punishment) can establish an unhealthy mindset.
Get Moving!
With all this in mind, it’s time to take the first steps towards achieving your fitness goals (quite literally, as the case may be)!
Tackle that initial push-up, run your first mile, or go through your first yoga flow. You have everything you need to achieve your #fitnessgoals (whether or not you share your success to your Instagram feed).