News — Workout Motivation

Five Ways to Get Closer to Your Fitness Goals in 2020

 

When it comes to setting fitness goals for the New Year, you need a solid plan. It’s not enough to want to get into better shape, run a marathon or start a yoga practice. You need to be able to take action daily that brings you closer to your overall goal of being physically fit.

The following five tips will help you get closer to achieving your fitness goals in 2017:

  1. Be very specific about what you’d like to do.

    You need to know exactly what you don’t want so you can focus on the things you do want. Experts claim that the more specific the goal is, the better chance you have of achieving it. So, before the New Year, get very specific about what you’d like to do so you can get busy.
  2. Break down large goals into smaller, manageable tasks.

    Large goals should be broken down so they don’t appear as daunting. Unless you’re in the habit of running marathons every year, you probably won’t be able to complete one unless you train hard. That means, you’ll need to know how long to run and how often, each and every week leading up to the marathon.
  3. Set yourself up for success.

    You’ve got to make space in your life to make your fitness dreams come true. That means that you’ve got to be protective of the time you’ve set aside to work out. If you don’t, you’ll miss opportunities to work out and train.
  4. Build a support system that holds you accountable.

    Goals are so much easier to achieve when you have people cheering you on. Build a support system of family members, friends, co-workers, and fellow athletes to help you through the rough patches. You’ll come out on the other side better than ever. Lean on those who agreed to support whenever you feel like giving up.
  5. Give yourself a pass but then back on track.

    If you do have a bad day or week, be gentle on yourself. Don’t give up on your goals, though. Brush yourself off, rework your schedule, and get back to working hard. You’ve got this!

Runtastic, the popular running app, stresses the importance of finding the right fitness activity for yourself. It can be anything from Pilates to soccer. The key is that it “should be fun and never boring.” If you find yourself growing tired of your fitness routine, it’s time to switch things up by adding new activities or doing old activities in new ways.

It’s also important to take care of tight muscles immediately. You can do so by taking a hot bath or contrast shower. There are a number of lotions and creams you can use that aid with circulation. Engaging in moderate exercise gives your body a break between physically challenging workouts.

A great fitness routine is easier with the right athletic wear. Make Athlete Beyond your go-to source for men’s and women’s apparel. Take advantage of significant savings by looking for sales and our Weekly Special.

 

Create the Perfect Workout Playlist by Doing This

If you want to feel more motivated to work out, crank up the tunes. Buffer Social reports that listening to music helps the brain override signals of fatigue while completing low and moderate intensity exercise. It helps people push through pain and achieve faster and better results because it helps them use their energy in a highly efficient way.

Selecting the Tunes

Here’s how to create the perfect workout playlist according to SparkPeople:

  • Choose a Song That Warms You Up.

    Select music with a moderate tempo that inspires you. Make sure that it’s longer in length. Shoot for a song that is four minutes long or longer to get you moving because that’s how long it usually takes to warm up.
  • Add a Song That Gets You Started.

    A moderate to fast paced song helps you set the speed for walking, running or moving on the elliptical. Think of music that really excites you and add it into the playlist.
  • Include Songs That Pump You Up and Help You Get in the Zone.

    Add songs with varying speeds to mimic the natural progression of your workout. You won’t want to run the entire time you’re on the treadmill. You’ll need to warm up and cool down, too.

Don’t let the music distract you, though. This is especially important if you’re exercising outdoors. You need to be hyper vigilant about your surroundings. You want to be aware of the people around you, as well as the traffic and the weather. This is what keeps you safe while running, jogging, and walking outdoors.

Note How Your Body Feels While Working Out

Take note of how your body feels, too. If something hurts, stop. You don’t want to risk injury by pushing yourself too hard. Think quality over quantity when working out because the better the workout, the fewer you have to do to achieve positive results.

Picking Up Where You Left Out

There’s always tomorrow to pick up where you left off. By then, you’ll know how well your hand-selected playlist works for you. If it gets you pumped about working out, you’ve successfully created a good motivational tool that you can use over and over again.

Switch Things Up

If it doesn’t do the trick, start over and see if you can add different songs or change the order of your current playlist to fit your needs. New music comes out every day. Challenge yourself to listen to new musicians, bands, and genres so that you feel inspired all the time to work out.

Achieve Your Goals Faster by Listening to Music

Now that you’ve set the tone for your upcoming workouts, you’ll be able to achieve your goals quickly and easily. Listening to music that inspires you to be your very best is one way to remain focused and stay on track while exercising. Before you hit the trail or treadmill, make sure you hit play on your phone or MP3 player. It helps motivate you to complete whatever fitness goal you’ve set for yourself.