Whether you’ve already got a workout routine or are just getting started, creating healthy fitness goals can help you stay focused when the days get longer. Staying focused is also about rewards; you need to celebrate how far you’ve come while you’re visualizing that next fitness milestone.
Make it Convenient
Make working out convenient. If you have to rearrange your life to try to get in an afternoon workout, exercise in the morning. To that end, do your best to make your morning workout easy; the morning brain is often highly creative but not good at decision-making.
Set up your workout clothes before you go to bed. Set up the coffee pot so all you have to do is hit the power button before you dress. If at all possible, try to also create a small window of personal time prior to your workout. Take 5 to 10 minutes in your reading chair and read the work of someone who inspires you before you hit the weights or the track.
Make it a Habit
Our brains are always building habits; it’s a function of our evolution to put a chunk of our day on autopilot. Current research indicates that many of us spend 40% of our day in habitual behaviors. Since we now know that our brains are always building habits, we can direct our brains to create good ones.
If you want a daily workout habit followed by healthy food choices, break down those big habits into small ones. Always have a grocery list so junk food has a harder time getting in your house. Put your water bottle at the front of the refrigerator so it’s the first thing you see when you open the door. Set your alarm clock for the same time each day and put it across the room so you have to get up to turn it off, then put on your workout clothes.
Visualize
Why do you want to be more fit? Are you planning to hike the Appalachian Trail, or compete in a triathlon? Visualize yourself on the trail. Stop and smell the fresh air. Look at the beautiful trees. Feel the water on your face as you swim your race and feel your feet on the pedals of your bicycle.
You can extend your visualization and mental training with a little online play. If one of your goals is to do some rock climbing or mountaineering, find your favorite online camping gear shop and create a list. Load your list with the products you’re going to need for your climbing adventure. Plan your driving route or check out plane tickets to the region where you plan to enjoy working your stronger, leaner body.
This works for pleasure as well. If your fitness goals include looking fabulous at a big social function, find the outfit of your dreams and print off copies. Keep them on your refrigerator, with your grocery list, and near where you dress to go to the gym.
Create Personal Positivity
Make sure that you are being a good friend to yourself. We often beat ourselves up in our self-talk, which is not only unhealthy but unkind. Are there days when you blow it? Sure! However, by focusing on what went wrong and taking steps to plug that particular leak, you can both improve your life and learn more self-reliance and mental control. Never say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a dear friend. Improvement is OK; abuse is not.
Create a Focus on Wellness
Pay special attention to overall wellness to keep things balanced. Working out until you’re sore is not necessarily unhealthy, but knowing when to stop can be the difference between soreness and surgery. Pay attention to your pain. If you can’t stretch out your shoulders after a hard workout, take time off the upper body weights until you’re sure your connective tissues are healthy.
Being fit is about much more than a muscular physique. Focus on exercise, diet, and rest. Within this focus, make sure you also pay as much attention to flexibility as strength. Feed your body with good food and your spirit with a relaxing, supportive community. Guard your resting time and space for healing sleep.
