Did you know that 39% of people who want to live a healthier lifestyle feel too overwhelmed to even begin? Whether it’s due to income worries or not knowing which routines to use, many people find it frightening to make that first step.
One of the biggest hurdles for fitness beginners is setting a fitness goal that they’re able to maintain.
That’s why we’re here to help make that process much easier. Listed down below are all of the top tips that’ll help make you a pro at setting achievable fitness goals for beginners. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know!
1. Set Smaller Specific Goals
The first place to start is to break down your overall fitness goal into smaller and more attainable goals. Telling yourself that you want to lose weight is a great beginning, but it’s not an easy thing to put into action. It doesn’t give you something to strive for and can be discouraging.
Instead, it’s better to focus on smaller goals that’ll lead up to your long-term fitness goals.
The goals should be something you can actively do, rather than result-oriented. For example, dedicate yourself to walking for 30 minutes every day. Decide to go to the gym at least three days a week.
These are things you can do, and keep doing, regardless of results.
It’s important to make your goals realistic. Attempting to lose 20 pounds in a week is only setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. It’s also not a healthy way to go about reaching your ultimate goal and could do you a lot of harm.
Short-term fitness goals are perfect when they’re action-based and aid in your journey toward your long-term goal. Write them down so that you always know where you’re trying to go in your fitness journey!
2. Start With Easy Routines
When you decide that it’s time to start getting serious about your physical health, it’s easy to dive right in. You’ll hit the gym every day and go for a run. You might start lifting weights and begin a strict diet.
The problem with this is that it’s difficult to maintain this kind of zealous routine as a beginner.
It’s easier to stick to your goals if you don’t force too much all at once. You’ve got to learn how to swim before you head down to the deep end of the fitness pool.
If you go too hard too fast, you could end up injured which will only make your journey more difficult.
As you set up your fitness schedule, start with one or two activities. You can always add more reps to a routine or stay out walking for a longer time. Without the right foundation, however, you’ll struggle to meet your goals.
3. Record Your Progress
Watching your progress can be both a great motivator and a potential stress-inducing problem. Without knowing your progress, you won’t know if you need to change anything in your fitness routine.
It’s also not a good idea to only focus on that progress because the path to healthy living isn’t always a straightforward thing. There are natural ups and downs.
The best way to counteract this is to record your progress within larger chunks of time. Instead of doing a check-in every week, do it every month or two.
This gives you a way to track all the good you’re doing without letting those natural ups and downs ruin your motivation.
4. Involve Friends and Family
Trying to attempt to change your lifestyle isn’t an easy task. That’s why it’s a great idea to get your friends and family involved.
Having someone to go to the gym with you is an excellent motivator. It’ll be much easier to go through your workouts if you have someone else relying on your presence. Plus, it’s more fun to do your favorite yoga routine with a friend by your side.
Even if your loved ones don’t join you on your fitness journey, they’re still a great source of encouragement and praise. They’ll be there by your side every step of the way so that you never have to feel alone!
5. Join a Gym Community
If you prefer to leave your friends and family out of your fitness journey, a gym is another helpful option. It’s also a good option even if you do have a loved one joining you.
The best thing about a gym community is the fact that you know everyone is going through the same struggles as you. You’ll learn to recognize others during your time spent there. It’ll start to feel more like a fitness family than a collection of strangers using workout equipment.
It’s a wonderful motivator to see others working towards their fitness goals. It’s even better when you recognize when they’ve reached a difficult milestone. Soon their successes will feel like your own, and they’ll return the favor when you reach your next milestone, too!
6. Sign Up for Personal Training
Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize if your workout routine is pushing you as much as it should. There’s a fine line between pushing yourself without pushing too hard.
That’s why getting a personal trainer is a great asset for anyone trying to become healthier. It’s even more valuable for beginners who are still trying to figure out their routine.
A personal trainer has all of the experience and expertise to recognize how to help you. They’ll keep pushing you to work harder so that you never hit a plateau in your progress.
They also know how to tackle any kind of workout routine safely. You’ll never need to worry about doing a new exercise the wrong way with a personal trainer there to back you up. They’re great at keeping you going and also keeping you free from injuries.
7. Keep Things Interesting and New
Are you worried about growing bored with your new routine? Do you find yourself groaning at the thought of ever doing a set of pushups again?
To stop yourself from feeling rundown by your exercises, try adding new and exciting things into the mix. Tuesday may be a cardio day, but that doesn’t mean you have to run every time.
Try some aquatic exercises instead. Go to a yoga session, or try kickboxing. Go for a bike ride or even a hike.
Adding new things to your routine prevents it from feeling stale and makes every day feel like an adventure. Plus, you never know when you’ll find a new favorite exercise!
8. Maintain a Positive Outlook
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to look on the bright side of everything. Bringing a positive outlook to every workout helps those exercises feel less overwhelming. Try to find something to enjoy about each session so that you don’t only focus on the sore muscles.
You want to keep a positive demeanor when it comes to your larger goals as well.
Even if you didn’t lose as much as you wanted in your last weigh-in, try to focus on the fact that you’re still working towards that goal. A little bit of something is always better than nothing at all.
Sooner or later, you’ll find that you won’t have to force a positive outlook anymore. Instead, you’ll come to associate workouts with happiness and positivity. It’ll be second nature, making it even easier to continue.
9. Learn About Your Body’s Limits
It’s good to push yourself so that you don’t become complacent in your exercises. While you do this, you need to listen to your body.
If something starts to hurt or feel wrong, it’s time to stop and figure out what’s going on.
A workout isn’t something that should cause you acute pain. It’s vital to your health that you pause the exercise and take a break. If the pain continues, then it’s time to go see a doctor before trying anything else.
As you continue on your fitness journey, your ability to listen to your body will get better. Try not to ignore the signs of burnout or injury so that you can continue working towards your goal!
10. Include Schedule Flexibility
A schedule is vital to keeping up with your goals. The problem is that your work schedule or other responsibilities won’t always be lenient toward your fitness schedule. Things will eventually overlap and make it difficult to get a workout in.
The best way to avoid this problem is to allow for flexibility in your fitness schedule.
Maybe instead of going to the gym after a stressful day, you’ll spend an hour walking around the block in the beautiful sunlight. Instead of spending an hour running on the treadmill, you’ll only do 30 minutes so that you can get home earlier to make dinner.
The key is to compromise without letting yourself off the hook. It’s okay to find ways to still get in your exercise for the day without sacrificing your mental health.
11. Add Personal Flair
Although exercising does take work and dedication, this doesn’t mean that it can’t also be fun. There are all kinds of things you can do to turn a dull routine into something exciting again.
Download an app that turns your routine into a game. Gain experience and level up with each rep you complete.
Coordinate your favorite fitness outfit with colorful equipment. Lifting dumbbells might be more fun if you add colorful stickers or gems to them.
Get your kids to come up with some interesting new ways to tackle your workout routine. It’s a great way to bring some creative fun into the day, while also getting your kids interested in a healthy lifestyle.
12. Forgive Yourself During Rough Times
Once in a while, you might find yourself slipping away from your fitness routine. You might skip a day without even realizing it. You might go out to a party instead of going to the gym.
This is all okay.
The most important thing is that you don’t beat yourself up about it. Mistakes and slip-ups are normal, and it’s not going to do you any good to focus on them.
It’s much better to recognize the slip-up, acknowledge that it happens, and then move on. Continue with your routine as if it never happened.
This lets you get back into the groove of things without causing any internal panic.
13. Celebrate Successes
On the other end of the spectrum, it’s also important to celebrate your successes. Letting a milestone pass by without some kind of celebration will only make the next workout feel more like a chore.
Getting healthier is a difficult journey. Take the time to celebrate the fact that you’re doing well and that you’re achieving your goals.
After all, these milestones and successes are part of why you started the journey in the first place!
14. Adjust Your Routine When Needed
Smart fitness goals are ones that never remain stagnant. As you continue to grow and gain experience, your exercise routine needs to reflect the changes in your body.
As a beginner, a 30-minute walk might be your limit for the day. Several months down the road, however, that 30-minute walk won’t do much for you.
It’s good to set aside time every couple of months to reassess your schedule, routine, and goals. Not only does this give you time to reflect, but it also lets you see how much you’ve grown and how your hard work paid off.
It’s a great way to motivate you for the future!
It Takes Dedication and Encouragement to Reach Your Ultimate Fitness Goal
The main thing to keep in mind is that achieving a fitness goal is a journey. There will be ups and downs, successes and failures. Make sure your dedication is in the right place, and seek out encouragement when you need a morale boost.
With all of these tips and tricks, you’ll have no trouble reaching any goal you want!
Looking for the perfect fitness gym with a variety of programs to help you reach all of your goals? Contact us today to get a free pass and see how we’re the right match to aid you on your fitness journey!
