Simple expert-recommended strategies to turn your athletic aspirations into real results.
Unfortunately, not all fitness goals are equally effective.
Maybe you want to be biking through Spain with your S.O.
Photo:adobestock/Eugenio Marongiu
or hiking National Park paths into your seventies.
Once youve identified your larger objective, it will help to direct your goal and plan, he says.
This variation provides more clarity and specificity than simply saying I want to get stronger, he explains.
Getty/Westend61
A bonus of this particular goal-setting methodology is that it leverages the brain’s chemical reward system.
Each time you achieve one of these smaller, incremental goals, your brain releases dopamine, says Harcoff.
Here, one helpful strategy ishabit stacking.
Getty/KARRASTOCK
Maybe youll have to watch less Netflix.
Maybe youll have to shorten your daily call with your long-distance boo.
Maybe youll have to ditch thedoom-scrolling.
Getty/Westend61
No matter what, something will have to give.
see to it You’re Being Realistic
The importance of having a realistic goal cant be overstated.
Far from something to brush off, these downsides can sideline you for weeks.
However, the sentiment stands.
There is no hard-and-fast rule against that, says Luciani.
Just know that you may get more negative feedback and opinions on a social platform than youd ultimately want.
Re-Evaluate When Needed
Goals are written in pencil, not set in stone, says Luciani.
How do you know when your fitness goal needs re-zhuzhing?
Your gut and body will clue you in.
Well, if you stop enjoying envisioning yourself achieving your goal, its time to reevaluate, she says.
This change in energy around arriving at the goal signals a shift in priorities, she explains.
If not, its time to find a new goal that sparks joy Marie Kondo style.
If so, however, he suggests extending the timeline or breaking the goal down into even smaller steps.
If you want to run a marathon, you might consider opting for one later in the year.
Then, see if they are taking on new clients.
Not a member of a gym?
