What's Your Goal?
When you pack your bag (or head downstairs) to work out, do you know what you're going to do? Do you know why you're going to do it? Do you know how best to do it?
Making the decision to work out is a big one - don't waste your time by working out without a defined goal and a plan to achieve those goals.
Which is easier than it sounds...
Certainly determining what you want to do - lose weight, build muscle, improve your 5K time - is fairly easy. The hard part is determining how to go about doing it in a way that's going to be effective in terms of both time and results.
To start out, set your goal or goals. It's very realistic to have multiple goals, and you can target each of the goals with specific workouts, or have "all-around" sessions that will hit areas of each goal. Most importantly - write down your goals - and reference them regularly. Put them on the front page of your notebook, or on a white board in your basement where you work out.
Next, figure out how to best achieve your goals. Do some research - you may prefer to work out alone with a DVD or with a personal trainer. You also might want to look into Fit Clubs or boot camps that are put on by local groups. Or, you might be more motivated by going to the gym and letting others see your improvement. If you're new to fitness, take some time to determine what's best for you - jumping into something before you know what it's all about can be discouraging. Some things to think about:
- Many gyms will offer you a free week to check out their club - especially larger ones. Test out the experience so that you can really understand all that goes with joining a gym - the commute, the atmosphere, the staff, classes that are offered (and for how much), etc.
- See if one of your friends has a workout series (like P90X, for example), that they can loan you to try. Many of these workouts can be great, but if you're a people person working out in your basement in front of a TV may not work best for you.
- Talk to a personal trainer. Many of them will offer a complimentary consultation so you can get to know them and understand what they would do to help you reach your goals. An advantage to a personal trainer is that they can help to hold you accountable, and can leverage their experience to help you get the most out of your workouts.
Finally, get out there and do it! This is the hardest part - acting on your goals. However, writing them down, telling your friends about them, tracking your progress - all of these things will help you to stay motivated.
Stay fit everyone!