When it comes to setting a goal for yourself it’s important to consider the ‘why’. Ask yourself the following questions: where do I want to get to? What exactly are my goals leading up to summer? What do I want to feel like?
Also make sure you commit to your goal – because there’s no way your summer body is ever going to arrive if you quit one week in. Hold yourself accountable by telling your friends what your goal is, or you even buddy up with a friend and kick your fitness goals together!
So, where should you start?
It’s crucial to mentally prepare yourself for the fitness journey that awaits you, and there’s a range of ways to do it.
Do things like shopping for healthy foods, removing sugary drinks from your diet, clear out highly processed foods from your pantry, buy active wear or a yoga mat, clear some space in your home or backyard for a workout, set early morning alarms and invest in your morning and night time routine.
By getting a few of these things under your belt, you’ll feel motivated to keep going and then feel great once you’ve achieved your summer fitness goal.
And with that in mind, here’s a breakdown of what you could achieve in the next 3 weeks:
- SET YOURSELF REALISTIC AND ACHIEVABLE GOALS
Setting goals is an essential part of getting fit, as you need to have it clear in your mind exactly what you’d want the result to be. This could include things like losing a certain amount of weight, toning a particular part of your body or simply feeling better and healthier on the inside. The SMART framework is a great tool to help you set your fitness goals.
‘SMART’ goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timebound
- HEALTHY EATING AND STAYING HYDRATED
Having a balanced eating pattern as well as staying hydrated are two crucial elements to getting into shape. When it comes to your eating, ensure you say farewell to foods high in sugar and saturated fats, and say hello to a range of fruit, veggies, grains, cereals, proteins (meat and legumes), and dairy.
Similarly, you need to make sure you are staying hydrated by drinking water because remember as you workout you sweat and lose moisture from the body. Drink around 8 to 10 cups of water per day – but listen to your body, if you are feeling thirsty don’t ignore it, grab yourself a glass of H2O!
- BALANCE OF WORKOUTS AND REST DAYS
What’s another puzzle piece to getting fit for summer? Working out of course – but it’s important to have a balance. Along with getting enough sleep each night, give yourself rest days somewhere between workouts as this gives your body time to recover, rejuvenate and reduce the chance of injury. Plus, rest actually replenishes glycogen in your muscles which act as energy stores so it will help your body perform better for later workouts.
- WORKOUT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED
What’s a good way to stay accountable and keep motivated? Workout with a mate or family member. This way you’ll have someone on the journey with you to encourage you and make sure you stay on the fitness track. Plus, it makes exercising more fun and social.
Source:livelifegetactive
