Upgrade Your Workouts With Fitness Goals in 2021
By Chris Brown
The great bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, once said, "If you don't have a goal ... you'll just drift around." Setting goals in anything, especially fitness, is key to directing your energy toward accomplishment. I am a reluctant runner who struggles after two miles, but have made it a goal to complete a 10K race this year. Rather than running, I find specific goals (like exercising a certain number of times a week) are helpful because they are more focused and less dismissible. Picture the training intensity of a fighter with a fight scheduled compared to one in the offseason. Also, singular accomplishments create a greater sense of victory when achieved. There are many ways to integrate specific goals into your fitness routine.
Create a one-week challenge - I love weekly challenges. They let you accomplish incremental fitness goals in one week's time. I've set goals such as number of push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, etc., in a week. The trick is to not make the goal too lofty or overlay too much at once. Gain confidence by setting a single high (but reasonably high) peak to hit each week. In a year's time, your peak height will surprise you.
Sign up for a 5K/10K/15K/half-marathon/marathon - Scheduling a date for something like a marathon gives your calendar a deadline for getting into running shape. Up the ante by finding a running partner or telling family and friends so that you are less able to back out.
Set a swim destination - For water lovers, a swimming destination can be anything from numbers of pool lengths to a physical goal, such as a buoy, if you are near a body of water.
Weightlifting weight goals - Find your max lifting weight (on bench, squats, etc.) and set a date to hit a specific higher mark. This is best done incrementally, rather than one large aspirational amount.
Body fat percentage goal - I personally don't like judging weight loss with only a scale. For slimming down, scales are deceiving when starting out because muscle gain and water weight will balance out fat loss. Instead, a better measure is body fat percentage. A body fat calculator, like the one in the "Story Links" below, can easily help you find your starting point.
Perform a specific yoga pose - As a beginning yogi, some advanced positions appear physically impossible. Find a difficult pose and practice until you've got it nailed.
Cycling destination - Determine a specific destination down your favorite biking trail or a certain distance from your house and decide to get there. You can make this into a fun weekend day quest.
The Joint Chiropractic can give you the flexibility to accomplish your fitness goals sooner. Chiropractic has been shown to improve balance, flexibility, strength, and reaction time. The Joint's affordable sessions are walk-in only, so there is no excuse not to stop by today!
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Midland, Tex.