If you live in Houston, TX, and focus on good health, you will probably set fitness goals. Are they realistic? If they’re not within reason, achieving them will be impossible. If you’re an adult who is 5’3″ and set a fitness goal of becoming 6’4″ with stretching exercises, your goal wouldn’t be achievable. If your goal is to lose 200 pounds and you want to do it in two months, it’s also impossible to do with diet and exercise. You set yourself up for failure in both of those cases.
Start by stating your goal clearly.
You must know what you want to achieve. “I want to lose weight” isn’t a goal. It’s a wish. Instead, state how much you want to lose. If it’s 20 pounds, state it and give a time frame. It takes a 3500-calorie deficit to lose one pound. That’s a 500-calorie deficit every day for a week to lose a pound. You can do it by reducing your calorie intake and/or increasing the number of calories you burn. The average woman needs 1600 to 2400 calories daily to maintain their weight. The average man needs 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day. Shedding more than 2 pounds a week consistently, especially for women, isn’t a healthy option.
Make a goal that’s big and exciting.
A big goal is motivating, but it takes time to achieve. Your motivation can fizzle out after a few weeks. To maintain a high level of motivation, break it down into smaller, more easily achieved goals. If you want to improve your endurance, your ultimate goal might be to run up six flights of stairs without stopping to catch your breath. Find out where you are and start there. If you can barely climb one flight of stairs, work until one flight is easy. Time yourself and try to beat your time. Once you achieve that, start on two flights of stairs.
Track your goal and turn it into a game.
Winners keep score. If you want to get stronger, track the number of pounds you can lift or the number of reps you can do during strength training. If weight loss is your goal, track your calorie intake, exercise routine, weight, and body measurements. Sometimes, you lose inches, but don’t lose a single pound. You’re still making progress. You’re building muscle that weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue, so your body will be slimmer. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain, so the more you have, the easier it is to lose weight.
- Be consistent. Focus on your goal daily. If you fail to achieve your weekly goal, don’t worry. Try harder the next week.
- No matter what your primary goal is, you need all types of exercise, which include strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. Just focus more effort on what fits your primary goal.
- Find ways to help you meet your goals. If your goal is endurance, be more active beyond exercise. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or go dancing instead of going to a movie.
- Always check with your healthcare professional first before starting any diet or exercise program.
For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness