How to Maintain Your Fitness Goals
AD | Hands up how many of you set fitness goals this year? ✋ … OK, now hands up who hasn’t stuck to them? 🙄 Yep, me too. Even though I started off well with my fitness goals in January and added more yoga and home workouts into my daily routines. I’ve lost track of it recently, which is easily done. We all have so many other commitments to fit in, from family time, to work or studying, or simply because ‘life happened’. If this sounds all too familiar then today’s post may be just what you need to maintain with your fitness goals. 💪
How to Maintain Your Fitness Goals
Set Realistic Fitness Goals
Whether your goals are for the whole year or just for the next six months, you want to make sure before anything else, that you’ve set actual realistic fitness goals for yourself. No matter what your goal may be, it will take time to get there. If one of your goals is to work out every day, by no means does this mean you have to go to the gym each and every day.
Instead, on some days, take long walks around your neighbourhood or do an online yoga session. Or if you break your workout routine for a couple of days, it’s totally okay! Periods of rest can be equally important, too, because your muscles need to recover. Even though there may be times you go off course with your goals, keeping yourself motivated and reminding yourself of your goals will help you get back on course.
Have a Workout Buddy
It always helps to complete your fitness goals when you have a buddy to do it with. If you have fitness goals, find a co-worker, a friend or a family member who shares the same goals as you do. Not only does having a workout partner help keep you in check but it can help to make your workouts even more fun. By doing fun partner exercises, it will inspire you both to keep working out and accomplish your goals together!
Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash
Get Yourself a Whole New Wardrobe
There’s nothing like a whole new workout wardrobe to help inspire you to go to the gym! If you’re in need of some cute new workout clothes, by no means does this mean you need to spend tons of money. We all know of common workout brands such as Adidas, Under Armour and Lululemon. While these are well-known, they can also be quite expensive. Instead, look towards thrift shops to find the best deals.
Online thrift stores like thredUP make it possible to find Lululemon activewear options * that are affordable and give clothes a second life. Or if you don’t want to be shopping online, go to your local salvation army or Red Cross shop (in the USA). Or charity shops if you’re in the UK. You never know what kind of workout clothes you’ll find for half the original price!
Have a Well Maintained Gym Bag
To be honest, before I started my running journey, I never realised just how important a well maintained gym bag could be. There’s nothing worse than beginning a work out and having your feet hurt from the wrong trainers, or your fitness leggings ridding up.
My boyfriend Aaron has recently started his own fitness journey, too. He re-joined the gym and has begun making healthier meal choices, swapping cider and pizza, for dishes with more protein in them such as chicken, and drinking more water.
Our Gym Bag Essentials to Help Maintain Your Fitness Goals
Flannel – You’re working out, you’ll get sweaty, and you’re equipment may get sweaty, too. Which is why a flannel is so handy, you can swipe the sweat from your brow and off the equipment after you’ve used it.
Shampoo and Shower Gel – For freshening up after your work out.
Trainers – Depending on the activity we’re doing we may have running trainers, trail-runners, or hiking shoes / boots in our bag. Or, more likely, wear them on route. We also have different socks for different work-outs, too.
Clothing – Again, this will change depending on the type of work out we’re doing but may include tops and sports leggings in a wicking material, hiking trousers, jogging bottoms, or swimwear. I also have a few different sports bras depending on high, medium, or low impact exercises.
Deodorant – For freshening up before, during, and after your work out. Especially, important in the Summer months!
Water bottle – it’s so important to keep hydrate when you’re exercising.
Reward Yourself
Whether you’ve been sticking to your resolutions for two weeks or just a couple of days, even trying deserves to be rewarded. Make sure that you remind yourself through this process that you need to give yourself credit. The type of reward is totally up to you but if you’ve been stringent about your diet, feel free to let yourself have a cheat meal. If you’ve been great about sticking to your resolutions and saving some money in the process, treat yourself to a new pair of sneakers or getting a massage. Rewarding yourself will be a great reminder of why you want and should continue with your resolutions in the first place!
Have you set any fitness goals this year? Have you managed to maintain them? Let me know in the comments. 😊