So you want to get fit for the summer? You’re going to need two things – to set goals and to stick to them. It sounds simple when you say it like that doesn’t it? The truth is that your fitness plan can be surprisingly simple provided it is properly planned out and is fully focussed.

So, how do set your fitness goals and stick to them? Here’s some help…

Setting goals
*Be specific: ‘Lose weight’ and ‘get fitter’ are not proper goals. You need to be targeted. How much weight do you want to lose? Set weekly and monthly goals as well as a longer-term target – bearing in mind that one or two pounds a week is a healthy and sustainable rate to lose weight.

*Shape: Don’t just focus on weight loss. You could easily get fitter and be in better shape without losing much weight at all. Take pictures and measurements at the start of the process and maybe aim to fit into that old dress or suit that you struggle to squeeze into these days? Your shape is just as important as the number on the scales.

*Realistic: Don’t go mad at the start. There’s nothing wrong with setting small goals that you can achieve quite quickly and then setting further targets once those are achieved. Setting a target that is too high right from the start will only serve to demotivate you.

Meeting goals
*Track: There’s no point setting yourself good goals if you can’t then tell if you’ve met them. Use an app so that you can track how far you walk and run, your heart rate and the calories you’ve consumed each day so that you can accurately monitor your progress. There’s plenty to choose from – pick one that you find most comfortable and make sure you use it your advantage. Data isn’t the be all and end all but it can help.

*Exercise: There’s no denying the fact that you’ll need to work hard to achieve your fitness goals. It doesn’t have to be a chore though – find something you enjoy doing and build it into your regular weekly routine. Strap on your running shoes, pay regular visits to the gym, take up a sport with your friends or follow your favourite routine on YouTube/an exercise DVD. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that is enough of a test, can fit around your work and home life and that you don’t mind doing.

*Supplement: When trying to get fit you need a good, balanced diet that contains all the key nutrients. That can be difficult – especially if you’ve chosen a fairly heavy fitness regime. Plug any gaps with the smart use of supplements to maximise your performance. You shouldn’t ever replace foods with supplements but instead look at the range of products on the market, such as those from newcomer Fysiqal Nutrition, to see how to make it easier to get the right nutritional mix.

*Patience: Don’t rush to try to meet your goals early. Equally if things don’t quite pan out as you’d hoped then don’t panic. Assess your performance, re-jig your goals and carry on.

The key to achieving your summer fitness goals is hard work, sensible planning and determination to succeed. Get in the right mindset and routine and you’re sure to meet your goals.

Bad habits are something that everyone has, whether you bite your fingernails, indulge in a little too much partying, impulse shop or have been smoking since you were 16. When it comes to achieving a personal fitness goal, bad habits can really cramp your style. There are a number of different aspects that need to be considered when setting a fitness goal, from the kind of lifestyle you lead to the type of food you eat and what you actually want to achieve from improving your fitness levels. Below are just a few of the bad habits that you may want to think about before embarking on your fitness overhaul.

The Wrong Type of Food

When you set out on a fitness health kick, the first thing people generally focus on is banishing bad foods from their diet. While this is great in theory, it can often be harder to kick your junk food habit than first anticipated. The first thing you need to do is become a little more knowledgeable about food and what types are actually good for you. With fancy labelling and catchy slogans, like “99% fat free”, it can be rather confusing to figure out what’s right for you. Everyone’s individual needs vary, so it is best to talk to a dietician or other health professional.

Smoking

If you currently smoke or are a reformed smoker, you’ll know that this is one nasty habit that is possibly the hardest to break. People can smoke for in excess of 10 or 20 years before they decide to ditch this bad habit to reach their fitness goals, making the addiction even stronger. Years ago, there was only the option of quitting cold turkey, but nowadays smokers can throw this habit aside by using quitting aids, such as gum, patches or even electronic cigarettes. For many smokers, the actual action and socialising aspect of smoking is what they miss, rather than their nicotine fix, and this is where ‘vaping’ comes into play. A number of companies, including BLACKHAWX, have released a range of nicotine and non-nicotine e-cigs, which are better for your overall health and the environment, assisting many reformed smokers into achieving their fitness goals.

Failure to Set Goals

Over the years, many studies have shown that people who set personal goals are more likely to achieve the task at hand. Whether you want to build a better career, focus on your fitness or get rid of clutter around the house, setting short term goals is an important step to reaching your final goal. When it comes to your personal fitness, health or wellbeing, it is of the utmost importance that you always set realistic goals for yourself. Comparing yourself to gym junkies or people who have been committed to maintaining a good fitness levels throughout the entirety of their lives can actually hinder your ability to achieve success. Set short term goals first, such as how many times you aim to exercise per week or which bad habit you are giving up first, in order to pave the road to reaching your own fitness goals.

Partying

We all know that partying is lots of fun and a great way to socialise with friends or meet new people, but it can also prohibit you from reaching your fitness goals. Binge drinking has horrific side effects to one’s health, particularly when combined with sleep deprivation, inhalation of second hand smoke and, of course, hangovers. If you’re serious about reaching your fitness goals, keep the outrageous partying to a minimum – you never know what other fun things you’ll find to do when you’re not hung over all weekend!

Procrastination

This is one major bad habit that is often overlooked when setting out to achieve any sort of goal, whether it is work, fitness or family orientated. Procrastination prevents you from achieving your goals and can actually send you in the complete wrong direction. Goal setting does help to prevent procrastination, but it is also important that you remember to constantly regain focus on what it is you first wished to achieve.

Always remember, setting goals is important for achieving your desired results. Becoming a fitter person doesn’t necessarily mean giving up the things you love, just replacing them for a healthier option. So next time you go to pick up a cigarette, try vaping instead or when you reach for that candy bar, replace it with a healthy bowl of fruit salad.

Setting and achieving goals can change your mindset and get you out of that funk. Check out this article from Men’s Fitness:

For those of us who don’t pump iron to make our living, going to the gym might feel like a chore. But stick with it and your sentiment might change, according to a new Rutgers University study.

Researchers asked students to keep a difficult goal (like going to the gym five times a week or quitting the tube) for 40 days, and found that those who were successful at maintaining their goals actually ended up liking the activity more—even if they didn’t enjoy it initially. Why?

“If a person performs a behavior regularly and for long enough, the behavior becomes part of the person’s self-identity or self-concept,” speculates study author Alison Philips, Ph.D. “For example, if I made a goal to start running and succeeded, I’d begin to see myself as a runner.”

This just reinforces the notion that attitude is everything. But you can change your attitudes by developing habits. This then makes you feel better about what you’re doing and makes it easier to plow ahead.