How to Set Realistic Fitness Goals

Setting realistic fitness goals is essential for achieving success. When you set goals that are too ambitious, you're more likely to get discouraged and give up. On the other hand, if your goals are too easy, you won't see any progress.

Here are some tips for setting realistic fitness goals:

• Work backward from your goal. 

  What do you want to achieve? Once you know your goal, start working backward to figure out what you need to do to get there. This will help you break down your goal into smaller, more manageable steps.

• Get real about where you are now. 

  It's important to be honest with yourself about your current fitness level. If you're not sure where you're at, consider working with a holistic personal trainer. They can help you assess your current fitness level and create a realistic training plan.

• Consider your lifestyle and budget.

  How much time do you have to exercise? How much money are you willing to spend on fitness? These factors will also affect the type of goals you can set. The balance between how much you can commit to time and cost has a huge impact on how you set your goals. 

• Consider your "why." 

  Why do you want to achieve your fitness goals? What is your motivation? Having a strong "why" will help you stay on track when things get tough.

• Be flexible.

  Things don't always go according to plan, so be prepared to adjust your goals as needed.

Remember, setting realistic fitness goals is about more than just achieving a certain physical appearance. It's about feeling good, improving your health, and setting yourself up for long-term success.

A Trainer can help you identify and answer these questions: 

• Why is this your goal?

  This is a great question to ask yourself before setting any fitness goal. It's important to have a clear understanding of your motivation, as this will help you stay on track when things get tough. If there is a specific event or timeline you have this will also help structure how you build a training plan. 

• What are the differences between my left and right side? 

  This is something that often gets overlooked when we start to train. You use each side of your body differently, but we often train them the same. A Trainer can not only help identify the differences but build a plan around them to create more balance. Treating both sides the same can sometimes set us further back from our goals because of injury or over-fatigue. 

• How do I work backward from my goal?

  Setting fitness goals can be tricky. We know what we want to achieve, but we often don't know what it takes to get there. A trainer can help us understand the process and set realistic expectations. They can also help us assess our current fitness level and identify any imbalances that need to be addressed.

For example, if we want to be able to do the splits, a trainer can help us understand what flexibility and strength we need to develop. They can also help us create a workout plan that is tailored to our individual needs. It's also important to think about why we want to be able to do the splits. Is it just for a party trick? Are we trying to prove something to ourselves? Or do we need to be able to do the splits for work? Our motivation will help us stay on track when things get tough.