Planning For Long Term Fitness Success

Hey gang – go grab a pencil and paper ‘cause I’m going to make you sit down somewhere quiet for fifteen minutes to plan your fitness success. I want you to sit down and make two short lists, then merge them into an action plan. This little exercise is easy as one, two, three…

1. First, list the activities you enjoy AND can realisitically do (remember what your doctor said about becoming active!). Be realistic when you make the list. For instance, if you love golf, but there isn’t a golf course within a hundred kilometres of your home, then don’t add “golf” to your list.

2. Now make a second list. Write down what you want to get out of your physical activity. Try to include ALL the benefits you’re looking for. Better health is probably on your list. What about making friends? Learning a new skill? More time enjoying nature? Take time to really think about what should be on this list.

3. Finally, put your two lists together. You want to identify activities that you can do AND that give you the benefits you want. For example, suppose you identified running as an interest, and making friends as one of your goals. Perhaps you could join a running club in your area, or find people to run with at lunch at work. That way, you can meet people while being active!

The key to success is coming up with creative solutions and finding activities you really enjoy. You’re in this for the long haul, so finding activities that you find rewarding and fun will help you to stick with them.

Once you’ve found your preferred activities, plan when to fit them into your schedule. Again, be realistic. If you can only spare half an hour on most week days , then don’t plan an activity that requires two hours/day to complete (ie: trainign for a marathon). Obvious? Yes, but pften we set ourselves up for failure by planning activities that are too ambitious. Set goals that you can easily reach. Work towards them – and when you reach them, reward yourself! Treat yourself to some new workout clothes, or take some time out for your favourite hobby.