New Year New You. Year after year, you make fitness goals. Then, you diligently work toward achieving them for a few weeks or months and then crash! Your plans to get into shape fall by the wayside and you return to your old habit of sitting on the couch and moving only when you have to. Exercise is too important to your physical and mental health to keep repeating this pattern. Research shows that fit people live longer and get more out of life than their less active counterparts. If you’re fit, you can move more easily do the things you enjoy, and you lessen some of the pitfalls of aging such as frailty. Here are five things you can do to bring your fitness goals to fruition. You do not have to go the gym. Start working out at home to achieve your fitness goals.
Know Your Why
Your decision to start a more active lifestyle might be different from your bestie’s. Therefore, unless you know why you want to get fit, you’ll have a hard time achieving and maintaining your fitness goals. Studies show you’re more likely to stick with a fitness routine if you have clarity as to why you’re doing it. Plus, research shows that the best reasons for working out don’t relate to weight loss or getting a beach body. The most successful fitness buffs focus on how exercise makes them feel and how it gives them the stamina to do the things they enjoy like sex and playing with their kids.
If you have a clear reason why you’re doing it, you’re more likely to lace up your sneakers, buy workout clothes and gadgets to help facilitate your journey and make it more interesting. For instance, If you have high blood pressure and your doctor recommended that you become more active and lose some weight to improve your blood pressure then you should write it down. Review your “whys” to keep you on track.
Set Small Goals
Once you decide on your “whys”, then its time to set goals. A big mistake people make is to set big goals. It’s okay to dream big, but you have to balance goals with reality. You’re not going to run a marathon or develop six-pack abs in a month no matter how industrious and well-meaning you are especially if you like to eat french fries and hamburger. With an objective like that, you’ll get frustrated by the enormity of the goal and quit. Break those dreams and goals down into smaller, more achievable ones such as eating sweet potato fries instead of french fries or eating a salmon burger instead of hamburger. If you want to run a marathon, start by walking a mile. Once you do that, add a little more. Goals must be realistic, sustainable, and achievable. Whatever goal you set, break it down further. Then, write those smaller goals down and give them a deadline. Don’t leave them open-ended.
Strive for Consistency and Never Give Up
Consistency counts more than intensity. It’s better to do something small day after day than it is to knock yourself out for a week or two and then drop out. Write down your workout sessions, just as you write down appointments. A workout session is a date and commitment with yourself, so treat it like one! What you don’t plan on and place on your schedule, you’re less likely to do. Schedule your session at a time that works for you. For many folks, the first thing in the morning is most convenient. If you do it first thing, there’s less chance of something interfering with your ability to do it. But find what works for you. We’re all a little different.
Keep Your Workouts Challenging and Stimulating
Add variety into your workouts. Doing the same repetitive workouts over and over will zap motivation and leave you grasping for any excuse not to work out. Alternate high-intensity workouts with low-intensity ones for variety and to avoid training too hard. Recovery is an important part of any workout program. Changes in fitness and body composition take place between workouts when your body recovers and rebuilds.
Watch some workout videos on you tube or on your fitness app. Pinterest have tons of amazing posts that you can try out. Trying out an activity counts as exercise as long as you execute the movement in the specified reps and set. You do not have to be an expert. You do not have to stick to one source of fitness inspiration.There are so many options.
Add short bursts of higher intensity exercise to your routine. If you walk, do so at a moderate pace for one minute followed by a 30-second sprint. Keep repeating. Those short bursts of vigorous activity add variety and boost your fitness level quickly. Take your workouts outdoors on good days. Studies show exercising outdoors is a good stress reliever. For the ultimate in variety, do a circuit workout. Select 5 or 6 exercises and do each one for 30 seconds before moving to the next one. Cycle through the exercises at least 5 times without resting between exercises.
Be Prepared
Do you have exercise clothes, socks and comfortable sneakers? Not having the basic essential items for a good workout every time can hinder your fitness goals success. If you plan to work out 5 days a week you will need work out clothes for five days. Whether you are working out at the gym or at homewhat your workout attire is important. Lightweight cotton clothing is the best because they dry quickly. After a sweaty workout you don’t want to walk around in wet clothes even if it is your own sweat. If you are on a budget look for sales in your favorite stores. If you only have two or three outfits then you will have to do laundry more often.
Reward Yourself
Reward yourself for working hard but look beyond food as a reward. It takes only one bad day of eating to sabotage all your efforts. But if you decide on rewarding yourself with food then be wise about your selection. Make sure it is something you really really want and will enjoy. If you can afford to, then consider a massage, a makeover, shopping trip or just go hang out with your family or friends? It’s a positive reinforcement for a job well done. You would deserve it if you followed through. The memory of that reward will stick in your mind and give you the motivation to workout even harder.
The Bottom Line?
Use these tips to maximize your fitness level and get the most out of your workouts. With a little hard work and focus, you’ll be surprised at just how to fit you’ll become and how good you will feel. Being physically active enhances every aspect of your life. So, make those fitness goals and stick to them.
Last but not least, although working at home comes with benefits, one pitfall is distraction. Save the laundry and the dirty dishes until after your workout.
References:
Exercise Physiology. Fifth edition. MrArdle, Katch, and Katch. 2001.