“Big is not better; it’s just harder to park.” So reads an ad by a manufacturer of small cars. The same is true of fitness goals. Big goals are not necessarily better; they are simply harder to fit into your busy life. Two months into the New Year, perhaps you may wish to re-assess the big fitness goals you set for yourself on New Year’s Eve…particularly if you have noticed that you are already slipping on your plan to achieve them.

The beauty of small fitness goals is that you can achieve them, and that by achieving them, you are motivated to keep going and stay off the couch. The benefits of exercise are cumulative, and the key is to exercise consistently, rather than at an Olympic level or rate.

It is easier to commit to two one-hour work outs per week than to five 90-minute workouts per week. After all, we all struggle with fitting into the same 24 hours per day work, family lives, school for us or our children, social obligations and the like. It is difficult to “park” a big exercise commitment into the day as well. We become discouraged and then give up on our fitness goals on a “why bother” basis.

The same is true of weight loss, for those whose New Year’s resolutions included a resolution to lose weight. You can lose a lot of weight in a short time by following a rigid fad diet, but with the havoc that chronic dieting makes on your metabolism it’s likely you will gain it back again before you know it. You may then lose the will to healthfully lose weight and continue to manage it, which is a life-long requirement.

If you made a resolution to lose weight, try setting smaller goals with a realistic schedule. Most people can lose 3 – 5 lbs per month if, in combination with aerobic and other fitness activities, they commit to eating a healthy breakfast, stay away (not eliminate) high-calorie foods, and exercise portion control. This way, you may well see that extra 10 lbs disappear in two to three months.

If this approach resonates with you, let us help you establish fitness and nutrition goals that are neither too big nor too small, but just right for you!

Request a FREE Consultation today!

By: Juli Stockstill, Owner / Personal Trainer / Fitness Specialist