HOW TO STAY ON TRACK WITH YOUR FITNESS GOALS
Jan 22, 24 | News | 0 Comments
In a world that constantly demands our attention and energy, dedicating time and effort to our physical health is a significant investment in our overall quality of life. Embarking on a fitness journey is an empowering decision that can transform both your physical and mental well-being. Whether you're a seasoned fitness enthusiast or just starting, staying on track with your fitness goals requires dedication, commitment, and a strategic approach.
Applied Nutrition, as Europe's fastest-growing sports and nutrition supplements brand, is at the forefront of supporting individuals like yourself in achieving their fitness aspirations. The journey to peak physical health is a personal one, and this blog aims to provide you with actionable strategies to not only set your fitness goals but also stay firmly on track to achieve them.
Where Do I Start?
Before diving into the specifics, it's crucial to establish a solid foundation for your fitness goals. Begin by defining your objectives – whether it's building muscle, losing weight, or improving overall health. You also need to think about whether you are able to make the sustainable changes needed in order to see the results that you want.
When it comes to fitness goals, you will need to think carefully about how much you are able to commit to - can you workout 4 times per week or would 3 times suit you best? Is hitting 180g protein per day doable day-to-day or is 130g more sustainable? Having a clear understanding of your goals will guide your fitness journey and keep you focused.
Another aspect to think about if you’re wondering where to start is to begin thinking positive! For many people, negative body image or the desire to look a certain way is what motivates them to begin their journeys, and they can be hard on themselves. Adopting a positive mindset early on in your fitness journey will help you do things such as become more resilient against setbacks and look at exercise as an opportunity to move your body and feel good rather than punishing your body for not looking the way you want it to.
How to Stay on Track With Your Fitness Goals
Keep a Fitness Journal
Balancing work, family, and social life often means there is little room for tracking your progress or reflecting on your fitness journey.One of the most effective ways to stay on track is by keeping a fitness journal. Document your workouts, track your progress, and note any challenges you face. This not only provides valuable insights into your journey but also serves as a motivational tool, showcasing how far you've come.
By logging your workouts on a regular basis, you will be able to plan your next sessions depending on your progress. As well as this, it can help you to have a consistently good workout, and give you something to look back on in the weeks, months and years to come!
Choose Consistency over Perfection
When it comes to reaching your fitness goals, consistency is key, and good things take time. Rather than aiming for perfection, focus on building sustainable habits. Small, consistent efforts over time yield significant results. The best approach is to acknowledge that lasting changes don’t come overnight, however, by being patient and trusting the process, you will see results in the long run!
Sticking to your fitness routine requires dedication, determination and willpower. Some days you might be feeling unwell or lacking in energy, and sessions may not go the best. However, by turning up to the gym and getting a workout in, even if it doesn’t go as well as you wanted it to, the point is that you turned up! Being consistent and turning up even though you know it won’t be perfect will win every time.
If you need a little boost to get you to the gym on days where you are lacking energy, our ABE Ultimate Pre-Workout is the perfect solution! ABE delivers a unique blend of the most vital and researched active ingredients known to help increase physical performance, reduce tiredness and fatigue, and provide continual focus throughout your training, maximising your body’s potential.
Focus on Getting There
Sometimes the hardest part of keeping to your fitness goals is getting to the gym itself! When it’s cold or raining outside, or you’d prefer to go out and enjoy the sunshine rather than sweating it out in a gym, you may find motivation dwindles. However, just showing up is more than half the battle!
Overcome the hurdle of procrastination by placing emphasis on the process of getting to the gym. This can be preparing your gym bag and hanging up your outfit in clear view the night before, choosing to workout in the morning if you tend to feel tired or have commitments after work, and making your commute as seamless as possible. Eliminating opportunities to miss a workout will make it easier for you to stick to your routine!
Phone a Friend
When you’re sharing a fitness journey with a friend, it is more enjoyable, and can add an element of accountability and motivation to your routine. Having a workout buddy not only makes exercise more fun but ensures that you both stay committed to your fitness goals.
Making yourself accountable to someone else (and vice versa) means that reaching your goal will be a lot easier, especially since you are both in this together and are able to motivate each other on days where you don’t feel like training. Guilt can be a big motivator, especially in the context of not wanting to let your friend down when you decide to sleep in and your friend shows up to go to the gym. That extra level of accountability increases your odds of success.
As well as this, having a friend with you makes working out a lot more fun! If you have someone to have a laugh with as you work out, you won’t get any feelings of dread that come when you start working out alone.
Create a Reward System for Yourself
When it comes to achieving your fitness goals, it is important to celebrate your victories, no matter how small. Create a reward system that acknowledges your hard work. This could be treating yourself to your favourite meal, purchasing new workout gear or buying yourself a new flavour of Critical Whey. Recognising your achievements boosts morale and reinforces positive behaviour.
Having a reward system can really help when you’re struggling to gather the motivation to workout. Even small rewards such as watching an episode of your favourite show or a quick massage will go a long way - simply cash in on those rewards when you’ve stuck with your routine for the day.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Comparison is the thief of joy. It is important to avoid the trap of comparing your progress to others and to remember that every fitness journey is unique. Everyone starts from a different point and has different goals in mind; the only comparison that matters is the one against your own goals.
Your mental health is probably the biggest reason not to compare yourself to others. Comparing yourself to others could lead you to developing harmful behaviours that are not only bad for emotional wellbeing, but also your overall health. It is important to remember that fitness journeys take time, and you have to be patient and trust the process.
Mind Your Macros
Nutrition plays a huge role in achieving fitness goals, and it is vital to pay attention to your nutritional intake as well as your training. Training is just a small piece of the puzzle - you need to make sure your diet is tailored to your specific needs in order to optimise your performance.
One key aspect of a performance-oriented diet is understanding and monitoring your macros. There are three primary macros: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Each macro serves a unique purpose in supporting your body's functions, and striking the right balance is crucial for achieving peak performance.
Minding your macros enhances your ability to meet specific fitness goals, whether it’s muscle building, weight loss, or athletic performance. To find out more about macros, check out our blog HERE.
Staying on track with your fitness goals is a journey of self-discovery discipline and perseverance. By incorporating the strategies mentioned throughout this blog, including enlisting a workout buddy, choosing consistency over perfection and remembering to mind your macros, you’ll be right on the track to achieving your fitness goals!
Applied Nutrition is here for you at every stage of your fitness journey, whether you are only just starting out or you are a seasoned gym-goer. We have a range of products bespoke to your fitness goals - click the links below to see the best products for you!
Lose Weight | Tone Up | Increase Endurance | Gain Strength
By Shannon Gaskell
CHECK OUT THESE PRODUCTS
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