February is here, and more than half of the people who set New Year’s fitness goals have already given up. Being that you are reading this, I’m glad to see you aren’t part of that statistic. So, how are your fitness goals coming along? Be honest with yourself. Are you on track? Are you finding it harder and harder to get to the gym? Regardless, below are some great strategies to implement to ensure you are sticking to your word and moving closer to your fitness goals with each passing day.
- Schedule your workouts
If reaching your fitness goals is a priority, then you will make time for your workouts. And the best way to make time, is by scheduling your workouts so you never have an excuse that you “ran out of time” to hit the gym. Find a block of time during each day, whether it’s before work, during lunch, or at night where you can get in your workout. Remember, you put it in your calendar for a reason!
- Have a plan before heading to the gym
When you arrive to the gym, you want to maximize your time, right? Our schedules are extremely busy and we don’t want wasted time just walking around the gym trying to figure out what you want to do next. Strategize. Today is chest and back. The workout will consist of exercises x, y, z, etc. Plan it all out. Tomorrow will be legs. The exercises will consist of (fill in the blank). Having a plan written down (which is preferred) or in your head will save you a ton of time and have you in and out of the gym quickly.
- Measure Your Progress
How are you progressing towards your goals? If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, where are you at? Are you losing 1-2 pounds each week? If your goal is to put on lean muscle mass, are you measuring different body parts to see if they are getting bigger? You don’t know where you are going if you aren’t measuring your fitness goals. Additionally, by measuring your progress, you are more likely to stay focused and motivated if you are seeing changes.
- Have fun
If you aren’t enjoying your workouts, then change things up. Now, be realistic and if you hate exercise in general, well, you’re out of luck. Your goals won’t simple happen by taking a magic pill or praying about it before you go to bed each night. You need to put in the work. But, pick activities that you enjoy. If you enjoy sports, then play basketball or tennis for your cardio. You don’t need to be married to the boring treadmill every day. If you don’t like your style of resistance training, change it up to something different and see if you enjoy that more.
The chances of you sticking with it and reaching your fitness goals will be based upon your emotions during your time exercising. If you dread the gym, you’re more likely to quit. Whereas if you enjoy your workouts, you look forward to them and are more willing to believe in the process.
