STREET SPORT 99

Fitness starts in the mind. Where it leads, the body follows. A positive attitude will keep you motivated, inspired and committed.

And your first step to a positive mind is reading these articles. So sit back, relax and enjoy.

• Set simple goals

Something that deters people from beginning a fitness plan, or continuing it for more than a few weeks, is the size of the task they set themselves.

A lot of new gym members will set off on their first treadmill run with their mind set on hitting the gym four times a week and losing a couple of stone by the summer. Whilst setting such a huge long-term goal is admirable, it can often be difficult to stay focused for more than a few weeks.

Those who set simple short-term goals as well as an ultimate objective are far more likely to stay motivated throughout their workout plan and eventually fulfil their long-term aims.

Why Set Simple Goals?

Getting fit is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one and by setting lots of small goals you can make huge tasks appear a lot less intimidating.

If someone who is two stone overweight was set the challenge of running next year’s London Marathon, how would they feel when struggling to run a couple of miles? The chances of staying motivated enough to run the marathon would be slim.

But what if they were instead asked just to run round the block? Then after a week, upping this to twice round, then three times round and so on and so forth. The chances are that this technique would build strength slowly and sustainably.

Let Success Drive You Forward

Hitting any small targets that you create for yourself can help create a sense of accomplishment that drives you to carry on and achieve more.

The more you get this feeling of success, the easier it can become to push yourself further.

Sports players may notice they feel less tired towards the end of matches when their goal is so near and this is often the same with personal targets. 

Setting small achievable goals will allow you to feel good more often - boosting your motivation and chances of long-term success. 

How to Set Simple Goals

It’s definitely crucial to have an end goal in mind when setting up a fitness regime, but it’s arguably as important to have a small milestone to aim towards at least every couple of weeks.  The best short-term goals are those which are achievable but will take a fair amount of commitment to accomplish.

If it’s possible, try and set your objectives around habits rather than results. Aiming to go the gym three times a week and eat healthily is a more productive goal than aiming to lose three pounds, for example.  

Setting goals like these can stop you from getting frustrated and giving up if good results don’t come straight away.

It can be a useful motivation tool to keep track of your goals and tick them off as you go. This can help you remember how far you’ve come and build excitement as you see the end goal drawing ever closer.

Why not set your first target today and get yourself on the path to winning more often?

• Make commitments to get healthy

It’s often said that the first trip back to the gym is not the hardest, but the return trip afterwards. This can very often be the case. Many people will pledge to get back on the wagon and head to the gym but then end up working too hard for their capabilities, exhausting themselves and therefore refusing to head back a second time.
Stumbling on the second hurdle then makes it impossible to progress on to the third, fourth, fifth and so on. For those who have a commitment, however, making that return trip is a lot easier.
Commitment is not just for relationships but for guaranteeing you keep up with a fitness regime and see it through to the end. So what can you do to help ensure you stick with the fitness regime and get real results at the end?

Commit to enjoy exercise

Exercise, for all its bad press, is not arduous or unpleasant. True, the first few trips to the gym may feel exhaustive, but that’s because you’re not used to it. Those who undertake regular exercise, often experience a high after completing their fitness regime.
Contrary to how it may feel when you kick-start a fitness regime, exercise can leave you feeling more energised when you finish and not worn out. This is all down to the famous endorphins, which are released during exercise (as well as when you’re excited, feel love for someone or orgasm). Endorphins have the same effect on the brain as opiates, giving you feelings of exhilaration, power and control after you’ve exercised.
Once you get used to feeling this high, committing to exercise is easy as it’s something you’ll actively want to do.

  Commit to get help

One of the easiest and most effective ways of sticking to a fitness regime is to rope in friends and family for help. Gathering like-minded individuals together as part of a group will ensure you all stick to the regime and help each other along the way.
Once you’ve set up a group, be honest with each other. Speak openly of the goals you want to achieve and celebrate them when they are reached. This will make the whole process seem more real and give you the drive to continue.
Gathering a group together also takes away an avenue for excuses. If you set a day of the week to all head to the gym together, you’ll be less inclined to let them down and skip a week, something it’s all too easy to do if you go alone.
Having a large and diverse group will also add a different dynamic, as it can lead to an influx of different activities that the group may otherwise have not tried.
Finally, groups can add a sense of competition into the mix. If you see others putting in effort and witnessing real gains, it can give you the determination to press on and see the same results.

Commit to make time

Far too many of us are time poor and have to squeeze in work, cooking, cleaning and children into our daily lives. This often serves as an excuse to stop us from heading out and doing exercise.
Getting around this can be easier than many expect - provided there’s a little forethought and preparation.
Look at the diaries of everyone in your household and work out a plan of action from there. If the children need to be taken to or picked up from certain places, work around it, either by heading to the gym in between or getting your partner/friend to help out alternately.

Commit to keep a diary

Writing things down can often make them seem more real. Seeing things in black and white can galvanise some people and make them much more likely to act on what is written down.
Start off by writing your goals. These will set them down early and give you something solid to work from. Then, as time goes on, log your process, taking care to note as much detail as you can. This will help later on when you see just how far you’ve come.
With blogs now more popular than ever, you could even publish your dairy online. Not only could this help you detail the work you’ve done but also advise others in your position. Furthermore, giving the URL to friends and family could encourage you to go the extra mile as they will be able to see if you’ve let the regime slide.
In making a few commitments, it can be easy to keep up a fitness regime and ensure you go back not just for a second time but many more afterward.