Achieve your fitness goals in 2023
Here are some suggestions to set sustainable fitness goals, without spending a penny.
Step 1: Set a specific goal
A specific, individual fitness goal will help you to stay focused. For example, ‘I want to be able to do a Park Run in my local park on 20 May 2023’ is more inspiring than ‘I want to take up running’.
It’s important to be realistic. If your goal is too big or too small, you will be unlikely to stay motivated enough to achieve it. Consider the type of activity you enjoy, the time you can spend being active, and how you are going to measure your progress. Remember to be kind to yourself – it’s not about punishment but finding a way to stay fit and healthy that you will stick to in the long term.
If you’d like to download a planner to log your activity and track your progress, there are plenty available online, including this one from Microsoft.
Step 2: Get motivated
Motivation isn’t something that happens to you; it something you must create for yourself. Just because you don’t do something, doesn’t mean you can’t. Starting a fitness regime is like starting any good habit – it’s hard to start but easier to live with over time.
It’s important to find an activity you enjoy or would like to try. It doesn’t have to involve a gym membership; you can stream fitness or dance classes if you’d like to work out at home, or if you prefer the great outdoors you can go for a brisk walk, run or a cycle ride. If you would like to exercise with others, why not look for a local team? How about getting a friend on board so that you have a buddy to train with?
Expect that your motivation will wane from time to time. This is to be expected but don’t let it put you off; just learn to ignore than inner voice that’s telling you that you don’t ‘feel’ like it and keep going. The rewards will be worth it as you get fitter and enjoy other benefits such as better sleep and increased energy.
Don’t ever compare yourself unfavorably to others: only ever compare yourself to who you were yesterday.
Step 3: Get prepared
‘If you fail to prepare you prepare to fail’. Help to make it as easy for yourself to exercise as you can. This includes trying to fit working out around your existing daily routine. If you work from home certain days of the week for example, why not work out during lunch? Or if you have decided to do a workout first thing in the morning, get everything you need prepared the night before.
It’s also important to help prepare your mind and body to get the most out of exercise, no matter what time of the day. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep so you’re energized, eat well for energy and stay hydrated.
Step 4: Get a programme
If you’re new to exercise then following a programme will help, because experts have taken the guesswork out of when you need to increase your efforts, and when you need to rest – sufficient rest is important to make consistent progress and achieve your long term goals. There’s a lot of free programmes available online, for every ability level.
Perhaps the most famous is the 9-week Couch to 5k Challenge which was used to complete more than 6 million runs last year alone. The programme is designed for people with little or no experience of running and a coach will talk you through your run and support you every step of the way. When you download the app, you can choose between the NHS coach Laura, or one of four celebrities: Radio DJ, Jo Whiley; comedian and actor, Sanjeev Kohli; comedian Sarah Millican or 13 time Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, Michael Johnson. Download the app here.
Step 5: Get flexible
Stretching will help you improve flexibility, reduce tightness, and make your workouts more efficient and safe. But the benefits don’t stop there – it also improves your blood circulation and can help you get rid of tension and relax.
Stretching before exercise (‘warming up’) helps you move more easily and stretching afterwards (‘cooling down’) helps to make sure you don’t feel too sore the next day. But you needn’t limit stretching to exercise – you can stretch in the morning to ease stiffness or in the evening to relax before bed.
When stretching, you should:
• Always move smoothly and gently.
• Feel a definite stretch but it shouldn’t be painful.
• Hold the stretch for 10 seconds (or two slow breaths). Rest for another two breaths. Repeat the stretchrelax set three times.
The NHS have prepared a set of exercises you can do after your workout – complete with pictures. Find out more here.
These tips are free, we haven’t included paid for exercise, such as gym membership. If this is something you’re interested in, you may be able to find good deals now, when gyms are actively recruiting new members. Make sure you speak to one of the staff about your personal goals and together you can tailor a programme and review it regularly. You may also want to look in your local paper for fitness classes nearby. If there’s a class you’re interested in right on your doorstep, it’s one more reason to keep going.
