Actionable Steps To Make Your Fitness Goals More Attainable

Are you struggling to reach the next level in your training sessions, or do you feel like your progress has stalled? If you’re on a mission to achieve fitness goals, here are some actionable steps you can take to make your targets more attainable. 

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Targeted exercises and activities

There are myriad activities and exercises you can engage in to get fit nowadays. While it’s beneficial to vary your workouts and make training fun, it is also advantageous to tailor your training regime to match your objectives. Think about what you want to achieve. If you have a clear goal, for example, to get fitter, to build muscle, to tone up or to improve your endurance and stamina, you can follow a plan aligned to these targets. If your main aim is to run a marathon, it makes sense to focus on exercises that increase endurance. If you want to burn fat and increase muscle mass, combining cardio and weight and resistance training will help you reach your goal. 

Working with a trainer

Sometimes, it can be difficult to reach peak levels of performance without encouragement, guidance or a little healthy competition. If you’re struggling to get to where you want to be, it’s worth thinking about taking part in group sessions to introduce a competitive element, training with a buddy or hiring a personal trainer. When you feel like the tank is empty, a good trainer will be able to squeeze that extra 5 or 10 percent out of you and they can push you to do better without putting you at risk of injury or burnout. Working with a trainer can also motivate you if you feel like you’ve run out of ideas for your training program, or you’ve lost confidence in being able to reach the next milestone. 

Know your limits

When it comes to fitness everybody has a limit, even Olympic athletes have a point to which they can push no more, so why should you be any different? While you hear fit pros talk about pushing through the wall or it being mind over matter, it is nonetheless important that you start to learn, recognize and respect your physical limitations when it comes to exercise. If you don’t you could end up causing yourself more harm than good. You could injure yourself or exacerbate a pre-existing problem that renders you unable to exercise for a significant period of time. This will only then push your end goal further away. Perhaps you have a longstanding heart problem to accommodate. Or maybe you were involved in a car accident that left you with injuries so severe you required a car accident lawyer to seek compensation for the effects of the injuries. Any pre-exisiting or ongoing injury or health complaint must be taken seriously and must be discussed with either a doctor or trainer when starting a new fitness regime or implementing new goals. 

Even if you don’t have any injuries or health complaints to be mindful of you still need to respect your limits to avoid causing yourself an injury or to avoid causing burnout. Overdoing it can lead to your mind and body exhausting itself and getting to a point where you cannot physically manage or mentally face any further exercise. 

Diet

Exercise is incredibly beneficial for your body and mind, but it’s not the only element of good health. To perform in the gym or on the sports field, you need to make sure that your body has sufficient fuel and that you take essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients on board. If you’re training with a specific goal in mind, you may also want to consider using supplements, but it’s important to seek advice from your trainer or doctor first. Sometimes, people try to increase exercise at the same time as reducing calorie intake and portion sizes to lose weight. It’s crucial to get the balance right if this is your target. Often, making changes to your diet will enable you to eat more without putting on weight because you’re eating nutritious foods that have a lower calorie content. 

Rest

It’s understandable to assume that the more you train, the closer you’ll get to your goal, but there is such a thing as overtraining. Allow your body to rest and recover to prevent injuries and enhance performance. You can take the odd day off or use rest days to enjoy low-intensity exercise, such as swimming or going for a walk. 

If you’re struggling to reach your fitness goals, don’t give up! Take these tips on board to make your objectives more attainable. 

Thank you for reading!