Goal setting and planning your Health & Fitness for 2020

Now is the perfect time to begin thinking about your health and fitness goals for 2020. You can use some of your free time to decide on what you want to achieve next year and plan on how you’re going to set about doing it.
You may simply set up a meeting with a trainer for January 2^nd or commit to going to a gym on that date to get you started.
A few simple tweaks to how you approach your fitness plan can make a world of difference.
I’ve taken the time to list some suggestions for ways that you can improve your goals in a realistic fashion.

Narrow it down
The first thing you need to do is DECIDE on what your goal is. Have a clear picture of this in your mind.
Make sure you don’t set too broad a goal. If you start out with the aim of “getting healthy”, you need to establish what that means for you. Do you want to eat better, lose weight or be more active? Start off with one of these ambitions and if you’re able to maintain it over the course of a few months, then you can start to add to it.
Write down your goal and give it a time frame
Being healthy is a state of mind. So have a clear goal in mind and consciously believe that you will achieve it

Engage the senses
Get a clear vision of the end result. How will you look? Maybe have a picture of a celebrity that you would like to be in the same shape as on your wall. Pick someone that is a similar age and height to you to make it realistic.
What do you hear people saying? Maybe a friend you haven’t seen in a while is telling you how amazing you look and asking you how you did it.
Now, imagine how you will feel and what this will do for your life. Don’t be afraid to let your imagination run here; will it help you get a better job, a better partner, help you enjoy your holidays better? Make your own list.

Write all this down and every morning and night sit down and close your eyes and run this through your mind. It’s great for keeping you focused and motivated

Make it social
If going to the gym a couple of times a week on your own seems a bit daunting, hire a personal trainer to get you started. Or find a friend that you can go with. But don’t wait for someone else; if there is nobody joining you, do it yourself, if you’re waiting on someone else you might never do it!
Whether it’s the boredom of working out solo or struggling to motivate yourself to even go in the first place.
If you pick a workout activity that involves other people, not showing up is less of an option.

Enjoy what you do
The best exercise is the one that you do! And if you pick something that you enjoy, you’re more likely to stick to it and not skip your exercise sessions.
If you can find a way of exercising that you enjoy and can look forward to, it makes it a lot easier to keep at it.
That said, doing three half hour session in the gym each week will keep you in excellent condition and give you the energy to enjoy any other activity you do.

Don’t focus on the numbers
When it comes to getting into shape, quite often just focusing on your weight can do more harm than good. Especially when it comes to your moral. Your weight may not automatically start to drop down when you begin exercising for a host of reasons.
For one, muscle weighs more than fat. So it might be more productive to measure your progress in less traditional ways like seeing that clothes fit you better and a general improvement in how you feel. And how you look in the mirror. These are what I call the ‘real life’ fitness tests. If you are trying to lose weight, as well as checking your weight on the scales, it’s important to check your body fat percentage and use a tape measure.

Make the time
Plan – sit down and write where in your weekly schedule suits best to exercise. We all have commitments, job / family etc. to work around so realistically we need to work out what suits our lifestyle best
If you have an exercise plan make sure it’s achievable with your current work and social routine. Once you’ve established what that plan is, make sure you stick to it.

• There isn’t enough time – you have time to do three half hour workouts per week no matter how busy you are. Take a look at where you might not be spending your time wisely and productively and you will see an opportunity to free up some time for yourself to work out. And since exercise will make you more energetic and efficient, it will actually create more time for you as opposed to rob you of your time

• I’m too tired – that’s because you’re not exercising – see point above!

• I don’t need to work out – if you’re reading this you know you should be working out, everyone can benefit from exercising

• Working out is boring – we can all find activities that we enjoy

• I don’t like going to the gym alone – find a friend to train with or hire a trainer to begin with

• It’s too expensive – anyone can afford to train, gyms are relatively cheap to join, and going for a walk in the mountains or on a beach is free!

• I don’t know what to do – hire a Personal Trainer to get you started

How do you pick New Year’s resolutions that are attainable and will keep you motivated well past the first two weeks?
Make your resolution and goals SMART and you’ll be one step closer to achieving the greatness you deserve.

S: Specific: Have a detailed goal in mind. A perfect example would be, “I want to lose 25 pounds in four months and participate in a fun run.”

M: Measurable: By making your goals measurable, you’ll be able to track (and see) your results as you go. Take your measurements (chest, waist and hips) at the beginning, middle and end of the time frame you choose. Write them down.

A: Attainable: Set yourself up for success. Create an attainable goal that you know you can reach.

R: Realistic: Make your resolutions realistic. If you are just starting an exercise plan, create a resolution that will be realistic for your body. “I want to lose 25 pounds and complete a 5K fun run in less than 45 minutes,” is a realistic goal.

T: Timely: Make your resolutions timely so you don’t lose focus. By setting a deadline you provide yourself with an end to your means. “I want to lose 25 pounds March 31, 2020 and fit into the clothes I used to wear”