Diary of an ExSloth

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5 Tips to actually achieve your fitness goals

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Hey Friends! How’s it goin?

Like I mentioned on Wednesday, my fitness has kind of fallen by the wayside in light of being sick for the last two weeks. But, now that I’m recovered enough to make it outside, I figure I should start thinking about making a dent in some of the fitness goals I set back in the beginning of the month.

5 tips to help you achieve your fitness goals this year via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com #fitness

The end of January usually coincides with the end of most people’s zeal about keeping up their New Year’s Resolutions, especially fitness goals. The excitement of doing something new to better yourself fades away and by the time February rolls around, life gets in the way. I get it. I’ve been there. But it doesn’t have to be the case this year. If you really want to achieve your fitness goals in 2015, you need to take the time to work on them continuously. Not just set them and hope they’ll come true. Here’s how:

5 Tips to Help you Achieve your Fitness Goals in 2015

1. Evaluate your Progress

So you’ve set the right kind of resolutions for the year ahead. Now to need to evaluate them. Evaluating your progress a good way to know where you are and where you’re going. It’ll also help you make the changes you need to make to keep you on track. So, as January comes to and end, take stock of where you are with your fitness goals. Is there anything you would do differently over the last month? What would you do the same? 

Continue to do this at the end of every month so that your fitness goals stay fresh and up to date. You want them to be something that you think about and work towards regularly. Not just an arbitrary list you wrote way back on January 1st.

[Tweet “Don’t just set #fitness goals and leave them. Re-evaluate often to track your progress”]

2. Be Realistic about Goals and Effort

While evaluating where you’re at with your fitness goals, remember to be realistic. Don’t give up because you didn’t see ALL the gains in your first month of working out. It’s tempting to throw in the towel at this point, but you have to remember that change takes time. If you’re consistent, and work hard, it’ll pay off.

And along that vein, remember to make realistic changes to your fitness goals after evaluating. If you’d originally planned to workout 5 times a week but you’ve only managed three, factor that change into your new plans. Don’t ignore what the last month has taught you.

[Tweet “Pro Tip: Be realistic about your #fitness goals and the effort you need to achieve them”]

3. Change up your Plan Often

Meeting fitness goals is all about having a plan. You need to have at least a rough idea of what you’re going to do to achieve the gains you want. But, just because you have a plan doesn’t mean it has to be a boring one i.e. don’t do the same workout routine over and over. 

I’ve been a member of GoodLife Fitness for about two years now and one thing I love about going there is the many ways to work out. If I’m not in the mood for a treadmill workout, I can row or lift or take one of the bazillion different group classes or even play squash. Remember, the key to sticking with it for the long haul and meeting your fitness goals is not to allow yourself to get stuck in a rut. 

4. Get a Support System

When I first started my fitness journey back in 2012, I mostly went to the gym alone. I made half hearted attempts to exercise work and ended up skipping most days. I still worked out, but I didn’t have much drive to do it and I definitely wasn’t on the road to meeting any of my fitness goals.

It wasn’t until I started talking about my struggles with my then roommate and making my friends a part of my fitness journey that I actually started to be consistent. Getting a workout buddy and making friends in my group classes also helped a lot. It’s hard to fail when all those people have your back.

5. Believe in your abilities

We can be our own biggest roadblocks when it comes to the things we want in life. In fact, I am the master of self-sabotage. I can rationalize the eff out of doing the exact opposite of what I know I need to do to accomplish something, all because of self-doubt.

But, over the last year, I’ve learned that you won’t succeed at meeting your fitness goals, or any goals for that matter, if you don’t believe that you can do it. Doubting yourself and your ability to do the things you set out to do will only result in failure. You need to be your number one supporter.

[Tweet “5 tips to help you actually achieve your #fitness goals #fitfluential”]

What about you?

How are you planning to make your fitness goals and other New Year’s Resolutions come true in 2015?

Share in the comments below!

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This post was written as part of the GoodLife Fitness Blogger Ambassador Program; however all opinions expressed are my own.

Comments

  6. Cat says

    These are all things I wish I’d know last year – it finally dawned on me (after going goal-crazy last Jan) that there were some things I needed to learn about how to set myself goals, and that it wasn’t so much the difficulty of the goal itself: it was how I managed myself. Tracking and evaluating is key for me, like you said, and the self-belief one is key too! As soon as I started to tell myself I CAN do a handstand… bam. Nothing like positive thinking 😉
    Cat recently posted…DIY Dairy-Free Vegan Protein Powder Recipe (For Cheap)

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  7. Erin@BeetsPerMinute says

    Great post! I think those are some really wonderful tips, and especially useful for this time of year. I’m already feeling like the gym is a ghost town compared to two weeks ago.

    I think a lot of people definitely want instant gratification when it comes to fitness, and it’s SO frustrating because it’s really a journey and it does take all your suggestions to keep at it.
    Erin@BeetsPerMinute recently posted…Battling Ropes : Trying Something New

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  9. Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder says

    LOVE this list! It’s totally true- I was a couch potato and it was because I always talked myself out of doing what I knew I needed to do. That and I didn’t have many friends who were active. Now that I’ve found some crews of people who like to do races and such it makes it so much easier to push myself because I know there are people who are counting on me. That and my blog holds me accountable!
    Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder recently posted…Try Something New and Convert To Skirt!

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  21. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    I love this, fitness is not a goal you achieve and then just maintain, it’s something that is constantly progressing and something you can always gain back if you have to walk away for any period of time! Also yes, believe in yourself always!!
    Sam @ PancakeWarriors recently posted…Roasted Potatoes

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