Setting Fitness Goals

Get Started:
Just start. The first step is the hardest, but once you have done it – you realise it is not all as bad as you were thinking.

Whether it be career, life or health goals, take a moment and ask yourself…

• What do you really want?
• What is important to you?
• How hard are you willing to work?
• What are you willing to do to achieve it?
• Are you ready to do what needs to be done? 

When you work towards goals that really mean something to you, you are more likely to approach them with a healthy mindset and determination.

Set Goals:
Clear goals. Write these down, keep it somewhere you will often see, stuck on the fridge, mirror, in the forefront of your mind will be a reminder of where you want to be.

S – SPECIFIC – Ensure these long term goals are clear and detailed. For each goal ask – What do I want to achieve? Why do I want this? Who is involved? When will it be completed?

M – MEASUREABLE – Break each goal down into smaller short term goals, to be able to measure progress. Smaller steps to achieve the larger goal.

A – ATTAINABLE – be realistic for these small goals to be achievable.

R – RELEVANT – the larger goals need to be relevant to what you really want.

T – TIMELY – Give yourself time. Then set a solid realistic deadlines.

If you have health problems, if you’re over 65, if you’re pregnant, if you have been inactive for a while, it’s important to check with your health professional before starting a new physical activity or eating program.

Get Active:
Create opportunities to be physically active everyday in many ways as you can. Regular daily activities include walking, taking the bus, gardening and house work as well as planned physical activities like riding bike, playing a sport and going to the gym. Figure out what you like to do. Plan it into your routine – no compromises, commit to it.

Eat Well:
Healthy habits are the key to being a healthy body weight. Start with small changes and you will find it’s easier to replace unhealthy habits with healthier ones consistently. Developing healthy habits can be daunting at first, but after a while they become a part of life.

Keep In Check :
Sharing your goals and getting support – Who will you involve in your journey towards living your best life? 
Its important to share your goals with others to help you stay motivated and on track. Make a list of people who help you achieve your goals and who will keep you accountable. They might even getting inspired themselves and join you!

• Family / household
• Friends
• Personal Trainer or Fitness Coach

Reach out and let them know how they can help. Explain your goals so they can support and encourage you in your movement and nutrition changes. Being accountable to someone else helps with committing to change.

Monitor what you eat, drink and movement. Keeping a diary will help keep you accountable of what you consume and when as well as your activities for the day. This tracks habits and actions and can identify where you may be struggling or doing well.

Be Informed:
There is so much information out there about weight loss Vs weight management, what is good nutrition and what latest theory that will work for you? It can be really confusing and overwhelming. But you don’t have to do this alone. There are community services, GPs, health centres and Personal Trainers and other health professionals to help. Education is one of the key factors in making choices. Understanding the how and why, helps reinstate the value of these necessary changes. Make sure to source information from credible re-sources such as health care practitioners and Australian government websites. If you ask for help and get it, it will be much easier for you and you won’t have to do it on your own.

Get Enough Sleep:
Sleep is the foundation of heath and wellness. When you get enough sleep, you are more effective, productive, creative and focused in all that you do. 6-8 hours of sleep each night to help you live well. Insufficient or broken sleep increases hormones that crave unhealthy foods which inhibits your healthy mindset and choices.

Manage the Challenges:
For some this maybe easy to keep and consistent body weight, lose weight and keep it off. But for others not so much. It can be that life is a cycle of trying to be healthy, slipping up, feeling disappointed, angry at self, losing motivation and giving up – it is a viscous cycle. 

But it is possible to make consistent changes, which forms a new life routine. People who have managed such challenges successfully –

• motivated to change
• have a positive attitude
• have support
• plan and set goals
• take small steps to change
• track the progress
• plan for setbacks
• learn from their experiences, good or bad

Consistency is the key. To be consistent and dedicated to change. Health and fitness is not a quick fix, fad diet, shred and forget – it is truely an AMAZING lifestyle change. You will have soo much more energy and a fresh new perspective on life!

You have a support team here at Team McLean Fitness Club, we will help you, teach you and give you the tools, but ultimately it is up to you to continually use them, to be the best version of yourself. I’m soo excited for you – You CAN do it!