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This means you will
need to put aside about an hour every second day. Remember, the first
two months are always the toughest. Get past these and you'll be well on
your way to success.
2. Set long-term goals
What do you want to achieve
within the next three to six months? State your objectives very clearly.
(If your long-term goal is further away than one year, you may lose
interest.)
Do you want to:
a) Get fit? How fit? How far do you want to run or walk or cycle or
swim? How fast? Be realistic – you cannot go from couch potato to
half-marathon runner in three to six months, but you can train for a 10
km fun run.
b) Lose weight? How much do you need to lose? What is a healthy weight
for you?
c) Build muscle? Do you need to focus on specific areas of your body?
d) Become more supple and flexible? Exactly what would you like to
achieve? Touch the floor with your palms when bending over?
e) Get fitter to improve your
golf game?
Write down exactly what you want to achieve, and set an exact date by
when you want to achieve your goal. Jot down your objectives and goals
in a diary. For example, 'I want to be able to run 10 km by 1 November'.
3. Set short-term targets
Set weekly and monthly
targets to achieve your goals. Make some behaviour-focused and others, outcome-focused. For example: Walk 15 minutes a day, three
times a week for one month (behaviour); walk one mile in 15 minutes by
the end of the month (outcome).
Write down targets that can be ticked off as you meet them. Your targets
should be as clear and precise as possible: Start off very gently, and
do not strain yourself at all during your first week or two of
exercising. If you run, increase your running time by about 10 percent
per week. Work with progressively heavier weights, or do more
repetitions.
4. Back up your goals (no
harm in leaving a
backdoor open!)
Give yourself a Plan B. If
it's your goal to master the art of Hulaerobics in two months, your
back-up goal could be completing an advanced V-Cycle class in the same two months. If you fall a little short on the one
goal, achieving the other is still a successful outcome. Reset the Hula
target, and with your new-found fitness, chances are that you'll be
swinging your hips and Hula Hooping like a pro in no time.
More tips on goal-setting
a) Celebrate your
achievements. Go for a massage, buy a magazine, or go to the movies. Or
put 50 pence in a piggy bank each time you exercise. This way, you can
treat yourself to something at the end of each month - the more you
exercise, the better the reward!
b) Share your goals with
people close to you whom you know will support you and keep you focused;
your partner, friends, family or workmates.
c) Don't give up. If you
don't achieve your goals the first time around, look at why it happened.
Maybe you need to get help from a professional such as a Personal
Trainer, a dietician or a doctor.
d) Don't forget to have fun!
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