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Getting Started: Reaching Your Health and Fitness Goals
Okay, so everyone you know has been dieting. Or thinking about a diet, right? Well maybe this is true for you, maybe it isn't. But it is a common New Year's resolution.
Many people make the same resolution every single year with the same results. Meaning not what they were hoping for.
So now that the year is half over are you one of those who have failed at your New Year's resolution? Or are you one of the ones who have stuck to your personal fitness goals?
If your personal health and fitness goals were to "get healthy and get in shape" you may be one of the ones who have not quite reached your goal.
Now let me tell you why this is, okay.
What happens when you set wide and broad goals, these sound great, but in order to reach your goal you need to have some small steps to follow.
Anyone can normally reach any realistic goal that they set for themselves, provided they have included the steps to reach that goal.
One way that you can reach a goal you may have in health and fitness is to think about what is the one area you need the most work in, not "I need to lose weight, I need to improve my wardrobe, I need to improve my hair, I need to do XY and Z, and I need to get it done today..." These are all goals that can be reached but if you set out to do every single thing at once you are likely to fast find yourself discouraged.
Once you have succumbed to the overwhelming knowledge of knowing just how far out of shape you are, and what it will really take for you to get healthy and in shape, you may just not feel like doing what you need to do in order to reach your goals. Discouragement is an admirable foe, because it is so often the one thing that causes so many to give up before they have really gotten started.
So first off you will need to know what you are going to do when you find yourself being confronted with discouragement.
This is where I come in. I'd like to tell you some things that you can do that may help encourage you, and help you to finally reach some of your health and fitness goals.
Number one; if possible find a partner or friend who you can chat with whenever you need encouragement or inspiration. Preferably a friend who is really a friend not someone who is self-centered and draining, also while I am thinking of it, it would be wise for you to remember to also be the same kind of friend to your friends. Encourage, inspire and uplift, provoke to good works, this will ensure not only a long lasting friendship, but friendships with people who are truly your friends, instead of "fairidy weather friends" these are friends who are quick to use you.
*Note, I just made up this word "fairidy" it is just what it sounds like, "happy go lucky friends so long as someone else is supplying all the pies".
Now on to number two, in order to reach your goal, you need to see each step that you will need to take along the way to reach your goals. Some of these will be easier than others.
One of the first things you should do if at all possible is to go get a complete health check up. Health care is very important, and knowing whether or not you have any underlying conditions may prove very helpful for you. Because you'll better know what you need to concentrate on first, this is a very important step.
It may not be that you need to concentrate first on what is most frustrating to you. It may be that you need to concentrate on something else, in order to make it so you will be able to concentrate on your long term goals.
You may need to start slower if you have high blood pressure for instance than someone who has only a weight problem. Or you may need medication for a thyroid problem, or diabetes.
It is better to be safe than sorry. If you cannot go to a regular Family Practice, you may be able to go to one of the free clinics that are sometimes offered, or you may be able to go to your local Health Department.
After you have established just exactly what your limitations are it will help you to better know what you can safely do to reach your goals.
Water aerobics may be something you should do instead of running or regular on solid ground without water aerobics. Or you may be in good enough physical shape that you can start with a regular exercise program. Maybe even something very similar to what you may have done in school. Well maybe not.
But anyway, now you have the general idea. Find a friend who will be able to encourage you, get a health check up, and get started.
To get started, buy a notebook or two, and set out daily goals, a menu plan, a grocery list, an exercise schedule. A daily check off list is always good if you use it.
Be realistic, and start out with what you can reasonably handle even if it is only walking every other day for several weeks. Drinking a little more water, and cutting out all sodas may be enough to really start feeling much better. So you can reach some of your goals.
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