Are you tired of constantly having to “get back on track” with your fitness goals? It’s easy to talk yourself out of exercising. Even when you have the best intentions to work out, excuses are so easy to find — “I’m too tired,” or “I’m busy,” or “The weather is bad.” The right attitude and a few tricks can keep your fitness routine on track. It’s not that you don’t care about reaching your goals. You’re just not sure how to do it without having to give up everything else in your life.
The saying, “experience is the best teacher,” is seemingly true. However, no one says that you have to experience the teachable moments in order to learn from them. In fact, there is a wealth of knowledge that we all can get from individuals imparting wisdom gained through their experiences (respectively). Here are 5 tips to help you stick to your fitness goals.
1. Have a game plan – For you to stick to your fitness goals, you need to have a clear picture of how you intend on achieving them. What workouts are you going to be doing exactly? Will you be doing your workouts at the gym, or at home? Are you going to buy a program to follow? Those are questions that you need to answer to help you set up with a solid plan of action that will make it easier to get into a routine that supports your goals.
- Dress for the occasion – The key is to find an outfit that you feel confident in that’s also practical. Finding a nice pair of training shoes and a comfy athleisure set are always a good idea but you should wear whatever you feel your best in, as long as its functional. Though there’s no disputing that pairing your ripped jeans with a simple tshirt and some sandals is a look, it may not be the best outfit for a workout. When you feel good, you’re more likely to get the most out of your workout, and that’s what we all want, after all.
- Track your progress – Be careful not to rely on the scale because THE SCALE DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY, though your weight may be increasing, that doesn’t mean that your body fat percentage is as well. It’s east to give up when you think you are not seeing results. Being intentional about tracking your progress will not only ensure that you’re moving in the right direction, but will also give you that extra push to keep showing up on those days when you just don’t feel like it. There are many different factors that play into the number you see on the scale. That’s why it’s important to incorporate more than one method of tracking progress. Taking circumference measurements, progress pictures and noting changes in how your clothes are fitting, are other ways that you can monitor your improvement.
- Watch what you eat – Always remember that what you’re eating and more importantly, how much you’re eating, should compliment your training objectives. Everyone is different. At the most basic level, if your goal is to lose weight you should be in a caloric deficit and if you’re looking to gain lean mass, you should be in a caloric surplus. It’s definitely possible to reach your fitness goals without dieting.
- Invest in accountability – They say that one of the best ways to stick to your fitness goals and plans is to invest in a personal trainer whose job is to hold you accountable to your dream goals. Not only do you have someone who’s always reminding you of the goals that you’ve set for yourself, but you also have the additional financial commitment that you’ve made in hiring that person. Having someone waiting for you at the gym 3 days a week or someone who’s constantly checking-in on you throughout the week, makes it a lot more challenging for you to walk away from your fitness goals.