A simple guide to creating realistic fitness goals

Creating realistic fitness goals is important for your long-term gains and satisfaction. Setting unrealistic health and fitness goals for yourself can lead to frustration, disappointment, and burnout, making it harder to stay motivated. Here's a simple guide to help you set achievable and realistic fitness goals.

Assess your current fitness level

Begin by assessing your current fitness level, taking into consideration your strengths, weaknesses, and current medical conditions. Be honest with yourself about your lifestyle, exercise experience, and availability in your schedule. Even if you can only make it to the gym once a week, it’s better to be realistic with yourself and try to follow physical activity recommendations.

Set SMART goals

Use the SMART criteria to make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timed. For example, instead of saying you want to lose weight, state how much weight you would like to lose, in what time frame you would like to lose this amount of weight, and how you are going to do it.

Start small and work your way up to larger goals

Begin with manageable goals that you know you will be able to achieve. When you do achieve smaller goals, you will stay motivated to continue on your journey and achieve even higher goals. This approach also helps to prevent burnout and reduces the risk of injury.

Prioritize consistency in your training routine

Consistency is key to achieving any fitness goal. Instead of aiming for constantly intense workouts that don’t have much structure to them, focus on establishing a regular exercise routine that you can sustain over time. Even if this means reducing your exercise intensity, it’s better to stay consistent than repeatedly starting and stopping your training routine.