The things people that hit their fitness targets always do

Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. But, it only works if we keep it up. Many of us are guilty of joining the gym in January when we’ve got post-Christmas guilt, and we want to use a few pounds, or before a big holiday when we’re feeling a little self-conscious about stripping down to our swimwear on the beach, only to quit within a few weeks.

Even those of us that keep up a fitness routine can struggle to get the result that we want because unfortunately our bodies adjust. If you’re going to keep seeing results, you need to keep pushing yourself harder. Setting targets is a great way to do this, but, you still need to work on hitting them.

Here are some of the things that goal hitters always do.

Wear the most supportive clothes

Looking after your body isn’t all about exercise. You need to ensure you are supporting your body the right way with the workout clothing you wear. It’s about finding the enertor insoles that you need to support your feet and wearing supportive shoes (learn more about the best arch supports for plantar fasciitis). If you have wider feet then choose wide fit shoes to ensure your workout footwear is appropriate. Make sure your gym bra is the right strength of support for the workout you are planning to do. It’s about strapping up your knees when they need extra support. Your gym wear should be comfortable, practical and supportive to ensure you are at your most productive at the gym and not distracted by inappropriate clothing that hinders your workout.

Look after their bodies

It’s also about eating well and filling your body with the nutrition that it needs. Look after your body, and it will be able to give you more. Stretching is also so important before and after exercise. If you train heavily then a sports massage could prevent injury. You should also be listening to your body when it needs a break.

Understand their goals

We’re guilty of missing our goals because we don’t know what they are. Vague goals to get better or to improve aren’t enough to motivate yourself or to give you clear focus. If you want to meet your goals, you need to make sure that they are clear, you understand what they are, and why you want to hit them, and that they are achievable.

They make a plan

Setting goals that you won’t be able to meet, or giving yourself an unrealistic deadline isn’t wise. You won’t hit them and you’ll feel like a failure. It’s demotivating. So, set smaller goals that you can realistically hit and then make a plan. Break your target down so that you know what you need to do every time you work out. A session with a personal trainer could help you to set achievable and the right goals.

They workout consistently

Going for a 10k run or spending an hour on the weights is brilliant. But it’s not so brilliant not if you then do nothing more than sitting on your sofa snacking for a week in between. The people that hit their fitness goals workout consistently, not just once in a blue moon, even if they do less in each workout. It’s about making exercise a habit. It should be a regular part of your week. National guidelines recommend we workout for at least 30 minutes five times per week.

They believe in themselves

Confidence is a big part of success. If you set a target that you never believe you can hit, you won’t. Sometimes, being a goal hitter is more about changing your mindset than it is changing your workouts. Believe in yourself, track your progress and reward your hard work. Feel proud of your achievements and know that you can do more.

They get past perfectionism

Hitting goals doesn’t mean being perfect, nor does it mean that every work out has to be perfect. If you think like this, you’ll be disappointed when you have a bad day, and it will knock you back. Forget trying to be perfect, and focus on doing your best on each particular day, remembering that your best one day, won’t be the same as your best the next. If you’re making exercise a regular part of your week then you won’t feel guilty when you have a bad run or can’t get into the zone one day. You know you’ll be back to it tomorrow or the next day and can allow yourself to take it easy this time.

Exercise has so many benefits and with the right mind-set, goal setting and preparation you can hit your fitness goals too.