Setting Your Fitness Goals

Becoming and staying Physically Fit requires the setting of specific Fitness Goals. You have to be realistic in setting your Fitness Goals and make them achievable. Don't even think you'll look like Cindy Crawford or Arnold Schwarzenegger within a few weeks. You will just end up frustrated if all you concentrate on is the number on a scale or being the clone of some movie star. Instead of dreaming about the unachievable body, think about developing and improving the body you have. The following will help you to Set your Fitness Goals:

• Break down your Fitness Goals. You will probably do better if you break down your Fitness Goals into short-, medium-, and long-term fitness goals. You might select a race distance of 5 kilometers as your long-term Fitness Goal. To prepare for the race, you could set a short-term goal of walking /jogging 2 kilometers around a local track without stopping. As you progress you could opt for 3 kilometers on the track or on the road as your medium-term goal. Later, you can begin aiming at 4 kilometers or more to train for that 5-kilometer run. Setting Your Fitness Goals
• Motivate yourself. Common motivations are: to have a long, healthy life; to Be Physically Fit; to look better; to be thin or lean; to improve one's love life; to take up a sport; and to eliminate serious health concerns. But regardless of what motivation you have, you need to make your program a part of your routine, gear up, proceed, and be committed to your Fitness Goals.
• Rest but stay Focused. Even with the strongest resolve, we all find the same excuses whenever we fail to follow our Fitness Program: "I'm too tired", "I will make up for it later or tomorrow", and "I didn't have time". But, if you constantly use these excuses during the short term, it would be difficult for you to achieve your long term Fitness Goals. It is ok to give in to occasional attacks of fatigue or laziness; No matter how devoted you are, you can expect it to happen. But remember that most of what you do has a positive or negative consequence for you, and to some level, Being Physically Fit is about balancing the two.
• Build up Your Resolve. As you proceed toward your Fitness Goals, keep your motivation in mind so you'll be able to stick to your decision to Be Fit. The first steps on the path to a healthier life are the most difficult. Next steps become easier as your Fitness Program becomes a regular part of your routine. However, it is easier to stay on track with your Fitness Goal if you have the support of the people around you: your friends, family and work colleagues. There's a greater chance of reaching your Fitness Goal if you can enlist the support of at least one person who understands what you are doing. Keep in mind though for whom the Fitness Program is - YOU!
• Reward yourself. After your hard work, don't forget to reward yourself for achieving a goal. There is nothing more motivating than having two rewards - attaining your Fitness Goals, and treating yourself to a desirable but suitable reward such as a massage at a local spa, or a new outfit or a sporting-goods item.

After you've Set your realistic and achievable Fitness Goals, you can then Choose a Fitness Method or workout routine that will fit your lifestyle and your body's needs.