If you want to make sure that you will have a long and healthy life, and stay fit and active, it is important that you come up with a master plan when it comes to looking after your body and your mind. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice and I believe it needs a holistic approach. It combines your nutrition, exercise, private life, stress levels, sleep and so much more. Simply choosing to eat a couple of healthy foods a day isn’t enough!

There are plenty of ways you can improve your fitness and wellness and make better choices for your life. With a bit of planning, you will be able to work towards achievable and smart goals. Find the blueprint to planning several aspects of your health below.

What are some realistic fitness + health goals?

How to realistically plan your health and fitness goals (2)

Have a target weight

One of the things you will need to set as a target is your ideal weight. This doesn’t mean that you have to be the same weight all the time, but you need to have an ideal body image to work with. Sometimes we are unrealistic when it comes to weight loss and bodybuilding, and this is why you need to consult with a fitness professional who can tell you what you need to do to achieve your goals and what you need to be careful with. I find weighing myself every morning a really simple way to keep my weight in check and maintain it. That way it doesn’t creep up on me.

Set fitness goals

Apart from weight goals, you will also have to create targets when it comes to your stamina and fitness level. Build yourself up gradually, so you are not putting too much pressure on your body. You might be able to run 5K at the moment without running out of breath, but later on you can gradually increase your distance and your training intensity, and perhaps be ready for the next Marathon! Don’t be impatient when it comes to achieving your fitness goals; break them down to small and manageable tasks and stages. Don’t run before you can walk with your fitness goals!

Have a plan to age gracefully

One of the things most body-conscious men and women are most concerned with is aging. You can’t stop it, but you can create a plan to age gracefully and always look younger than you are. If you look after your body, drink enough water and cut back on processed food then you will be able to keep your skin healthy and hydrated, so you don’t have to worry about the early appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. A poor diet and poor lifestyle choices such as drinking lots of alcohol, smoking and consuming sugary foods will only age you faster.

How to realistically plan your health and fitness goals

Take control of your private life

If you would like to keep your body healthy, it is important that you look after your mental health as well. Your mental health can really be affected if you are surrounding yourself with people who are negative and drain your energy. Toxic relationships and partners who would like to manipulate you will also damage your health. They can make you less motivated to look after yourself as well as damage you psychologically. The best thing you can do is to end these toxic relationships and seek support from those who really do care about you as well as professional support groups if needed. Instead of taking extreme action like searching for a vasectomy cost so you cannot be manipulated and trapped in a relationship you don’t really want to carry on with, you should take steps to get out of the relationship instead.

Get regular check-ups

If you want to protect your health and your fitness routine, it might be a good idea to get regular check-ups at the doctor, monitor the main body functions and your heart rate. You might have heard about athletes who collapsed during training or even during a race, and they could have been saved if their hidden condition was discovered before they suffered an incident. It is important that you get a check-up every year, but particularly before you start a new exercise routine, so you can make sure your body can deal with the extra challenges. If you’re a member of a gym or health club they might even offer some fitness and health checks as a part of your membership.

Improve your resilience

If there is one thing that you should focus on when choosing your exercise routine it is your resilience. You need to be able to adjust the intensity of your workout to your body’s needs and grow mentally and physically. However, no matter which sport you choose or what type of workout you engage in, there will be times when it is hard to carry on. You might want to improve your resilience through mental exercises and meditation, so you can improve your results, self-esteem, and overcome even the toughest of challenges.

Avoid injuries

If you would like to stay healthy for life, it is important that you avoid injuries and protect your muscles and your body. No matter if you work out in the gym or are training for a competition, you should not try to save time by skipping warm ups and cooling down exercises. These are designed to help your body deal with the extra pressure and reset in their normal position. If you are unable to cool down naturally and take on a bad position, you can pull a muscle or injure yourself, being out of the training room for many months. If your sport requires safety or protective equipment, there is a reason for it, and you should use them. If you regularly take part in exercise that puts pressure and strain on your joints, such as running, then consider combining it with yoga each week to help keep your joints and muscles flexible and supple.

Don’t believe everything you read

One of the reasons people do more harm working out than good is because they listen to the wrong advice. You might think that the latest food supplement will never do any harm, but it might put extra pressure on your kidneys and liver, not to mention your heart. It is important that you read the small prints and are aware of the side effects of all the vitamins and minerals you are taking, so you are not ending up doing more harm than good. The best thing to take is organic natural supplements from a company that is trustworthy and transparent and only if needed.

Understand your limitations

You might think that you are invincible and nothing can stop you from getting where you want to be, but it is just as important to know your limitations as well as being aware of your strengths. If you would like to set realistic fitness goals, you will have to take into consideration your build, your genetics, and your existing health issues. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be running a Marathon if you have asthma, but you will need to look out for the signs that your exercise is affecting your health and know when to stop or seek professional advice.

If you would like to become the best version of yourself, you will need to set yourself realistic health and fitness goals. Plan your exercise routine to fit your lifestyle, fitness level, and goals. Most of all, remember it takes time and this should be a lifestyle choice, not a quick fix.