It’s February, we’re well into the year, and there’s no turning back. Which begs the question, how are your fitness goals coming along? Have you been going to the gym regularly since you signed up during the New Year? Have you stayed true to your resolutions? If you said no, you’re not alone. Most of us make unrealistic goals for ourselves, according to Purdue University.
It’s not rocket science: people give up on fitness because they have no goals to begin with, they make unrealistic goals, or they lack the knowledge, motivation, discipline or tools to achieve their goals without injury, according to Lane Yahiro, clinical professor and director of the A.H. Ismail Center for Health, Exercise and Nutrition at Purdue University.
Yahiro offers some very easy tips to stay focus if people wish to get fit. One, be accountable, and exercise with someone with a similar schedule to help you with accountability. “I am a firm believer in having accountability,” Yahiro said. “Having an accountability partner does wonders, especially if the partner is just as excited about exercising.”
Second, establish exercise goals that can be reachable. Yahiro says working with a personal trainer can help you create realistic goals. “Personal trainers should set up daily training session objectives that will help the client work toward reaching both short- and long-term goals. An accountability partner can also work with you in this way.” (In our experience, many personal trainers are expensive and lack the proper training. Before you work with a trainer, make sure they are certified and understand your needs.)
Third, keep track of your progress.
These aren’t bulletproof tips that will guarantee a fit body, but exercise requires motivation, so don’t set the bar too high for yourself.