You only have to watch reality show auditions to understand that people have dreams and ambitions, which they are often unlikely to reach. It may sound harsh, but the kink on the path to fulfillment is when you don’t have a realistic view of where you are at right now. In fact, an honest look at who you are, along with acceptance, might mean you reach a place of true fulfillment even more quickly, and this includes being able to set and work towards fitness goals.
Enthusiasm is great. Determination and putting in effort are commendable. However, before you use all this fantastic motivation to set off on your fitness journey, make sure you’re heading in the right direction. Your first step should be taking an honest look at yourself. Not being in denial about who you are is necessary before moving forward, in life and in exercise:
How fit are you NOW?
Nevermind that fact that you were an athlete at school, or always running around and keeping fit during college. It’s the you right now that you need to look at. You might decide that a fitness professional can help determine how fit you are by putting you to the test. Or, you could generally look at your lifestyle and how you feel after moderate exercise and place yourself in a category.
How much exercise do you do NOW?
Declaring you want to get yourself in shape for the Ironman is impressive. If you take the right steps toward that goal then there’s every chance you could get there. But, without bursting your bubble, you can’t go from nought to 100 overnight. If you do little or no exercise right now then you need a program that builds up your fitness levels in a sensible, progressive and challenging way. Focusing on smaller goals might get you further to begin with.
You are what you eat!
Many people are motivated to go to the gym, join a fitness class, or hire a personal trainer because ultimately they want to change their body shape. As well as toning up you might want to trim down and lose weight. Again, this is a motivating goal to have. But, when you’re not working out what are you fuelling up on? Exercise and eating are intrinsically linked. It’s amazing how many people sweat it out and undo all their hard work with a bad diet. What’s also surprising is how many people aren’t honest to themselves about their diet. Write it down if you have to!
I know what I’m doing!
Move around, work up a sweat and don’t eat the wrong foods and all will be well, right? Wrong! Understanding of fitness and exercise has come on leaps and bounds, and new techniques, equipment and workout philosophies are evolving all the time. Of course, being active in any capacity is a good thing but it might not pay just to rely on your own methodology. All the gusto in the world won’t get you to where you want to go if you’re doing things in the wrong way, or ineffectively. Don’t be a know it all and be honest enough to admit that professionals who are qualified might know just a little bit more!
Make your goals personal!
What’s good for one person might not be good for you. By following someone else’s lead you might be putting to the side some important differences about yourself which you need to take into consideration. Not only that, but this can cloud your judgement. Do you really want to be in the Olympics or just be in great shape? Take away the competitive edge, unless you want to become a competitor, and explore who you really are.
To start the ball rolling get in touch and we’ll help you on your own fitness adventure which is no less impressive because its your very own.