Set Yourself Up For Success in Reaching Your Fitness Goals

Heeeeeey! Back at it this week focusing on health.

I hosted a Q&A on my Instagram last week and many of us are in the same position right now: Wanting to focus on our health and wellness! Since this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, I thought we could dive into it and really set ourselves up for success in 2024.

To meet any important goal you must mentally prepare, clearly define your goat and intention, and then take action. To help with this process, I use the acronym M.O.V.E.

M – Motivation

Motivation – Start by asking yourself why you want to achieve this particular goal. Do you want to feel better in the morning when you wake up? Do you want to be able to run a 10k with your kids? Do you want the physical and mental benefits that regular exercise provides? Do you want to just simply move your body daily? Do you want to tone up some areas? Do you want to exercise so that you at a more healthy weight?

Understanding why you want to reach your goal is the first step towards achieving them. If you can remember your “why” it will help to keep you focused and on track as you progress. Once you have identified your motivation, you can make a plan that will help you be successful.

O – Obstacle / Optimize

O: Obstacle/Optimize

The first part of ‘O’ is Obstacle. Obstacles are what usually prevent us from doing the activity that helps us meet our goal. Identifying these as you create your plan for reaching your goal will help stop them in their tracks.

For most people the biggest obstacle is time. My best advice for not letting a lack of time get in the way of exercise is to set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier in the morning and get your minutes of movement taken care of before you do anything else. Personally, I have to work out first thing in the morning before my meetings and the kid chaos starts. I am no good after 5pm! But if I get that exercise in first thing, everything else in my day really seems to fall into place.

The second part of ‘O’ is optimize. Optimizing is all about curating your activity for your specific goal. Do you want to get buff? Make sure that your activity is going to build muscle and not just burn calories. Do you want to run a specific distance? Create (or find an app that already has) a running schedule that will help you work up to your goal. Do you want to get more movement into your day? Make a plan to take a walk every day at lunch time. You can even make it fun and walk with a friend, or schedule a call with someone you haven’t talked to in awhile so you look forward to it even more. Or take your dog on a walk (unless you are my hubby- sorry still no dogs, boo!)

V – Volume

 V: Volume: Volume is all about evaluating your current ability and making sure that you have a plan that is realistic for what you want to achieve. What is a manageable amount of activity for you? Be realistic about the time in your schedule and your physical ability when setting your goals. Can you walk around the block? How much time can you commit? How is your mental health? What is your physical shape like right now? Many people set health goals while recovering from something like pregnancy and childbirth, an injury, illness, or other health event. Be kind to yourself and accept yourself where you are at this moment. After having my kids, I couldn’t jump right back to the level I was at before. And that was okay! I started simply with body weight exercises and I got back to hurdling in no time.

What helped my mindset as I was working towards my health goals was saying, I am not back to that level “yet”. By adding the “yet” acknowledge where you are currently but give your mind and body the permission and potential to keep striving for your goals. Another great quote for this; “A little progress each day, adds up to big results” – Satya Nani.

E – Every Minute Counts!

E: Every Minute Counts – If you only have 30 minutes each day, make sure that you make your minutes count! Try to find the balance between challenging yourself and over-exertion. Work as hard as you can in the minutes you have.

Conversely though, please don’t forget that every minute of physical activity counts as progress. Especially if you are just getting started on your goals. Whether counting steps each day, or prepping for a marathon, give yourself rest and grace in the areas between. That rest is restorative and helps you reach your goals too.

Remember friends, it takes 21 days to turn your goal into a routine. To help keep yourself consistent, have some fun with it. Get yourself some new essentials! 

1. A new Journal – Track what you are doing! If you are visual, check off your workout, food log, write out your thoughts – how did the day go?
2. A good pair of comfortable shoes help prevent injuries! If you haven’t already, go to a high quality shoe store and have them help analyze your instep and make a recommendation. Some of my go-to’s are:  Nike, Brooks, and on cloud sneakers.
3. Activewear – Find pieces that make sense for your activity. We all want to be comfy but cute! 
   •  Leggings
   • Joggers
   • Tank
   • Sports bras
   • Long sleeve breathable shirts or a Pullover
4. At home workout gear – If you are working out at home, make it fun! Add some patterns or colors to your equipment. 
   • 5lb weights 
   • Resistance bands
   • Yoga mat
5. Another Water Bottle – Can you really have too many water bottles? If adding that new stanley to your collection is going to help you stay hydrated – Do It! But, friendly reminder to make sure to wash it in hot water weekly so you don’t find yourself in a moldy situation.

Health and fitness goals are hard, but the more you work at them, the easier it gets. But as you embark on your journey, please don’t forget to do something small for yourself each day. No matter how busy you are. You owe yourself 10 minutes of peace to clarify and free your mind. One of the best suggestions I implemented into my life was this: 

As women we carry many weights on our shoulders. Whatever your goals may be, I hope you find the time to put yourself first. You deserve it!

With Love,

AB