3 Helpful Hints to Set Fitness Goals for the New Year
By Virginia Laird
For many, as a new year dawns, it is time to begin considering goals for the new year. Like millions of others across the nation, your health and fitness issues are probably part of your concern for these goals. It can be wise to have goals focused on health and wellness to help keep you from falling too far off track. Although it can be easy to set goals that are super specific and complicated, personal trainers offer advice to help make your goals successful and attainable, including:
- Keep goals general
- Plan for some days off
- Write the goals down
Keep Goals General
Specific goals for the new year can be great. However, goals that are too specific can be detrimental to your overall success. For instance, I try to jog regularly but jogging everyday is impossible with my children, chores, work, etc. Realistically, it is best for me to have a goal of exercising, rather than jogging, three to four times a week. This helps my week to be successful. Let’s face it, if my goal were any more than that, I would fail each week. Give yourself a break and keep your goals general.
Plan for Some Days Off
When setting goals concerning fitness, it is a good idea to plan for some days off. Not only does your body need to rest from time to time, it is also expecting too much to exercise every day. It is wise to keep this in mind when determining which goals and how many to set. Fitness instructors recommend allowing as much as one day off a week. This would include time away from any strict dieting you may be doing.
Write the Goals Down
There is evidence which proves that written down goals are more likely to be achieved than goals which are simply dreamed about. Writing down your goals and putting the list someplace it will be seen often can help keep you on track. Like many things, when goals are out of sight, they soon can become out of mind.
With this advice in mind, you are now ready to determine what your fitness goals will be for the new year. Remember, a short list can be a great list. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many items on your list. Keep it simple and you will be successful. Good luck!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Phoenix, Ariz.