At the start of a new year a lot of us set resolutions to get healthy, lose weight or get fit. It’s easy to know what we want to change but it’s not always easy to know how to make those changes. Losing weight or getting in shape can feel daunting. The “quick and easy” dieting and weight loss programs you see out there often don’t work long term. But luckily, there are ways to achieve your goals. The key to getting fit is breaking down your goal into attainable steps. In this article we’ve got some tips to help you achieve your fitness goals so you can be on your way looking and feeling great.

1. Set a Reasonable Goal

One reason a lot of goals fail is because they’re vague and intangible. Instead of saying you want to get stronger, be healthier or lose weight, make the goal ARMS: attainable, realistic, measurable and specific. For example, your goal could be to lose 10 pounds in 6 months, or run a mile in under 7 minutes by June, or increase your bench press weight by 20 pounds. All of these goals are measurable and specific. And don’t forget, your goals can always be adjusted if you need to make them more attainable (or harder). There’s no shame in refining your goals along the way as long as you’re still working towards progress.

2. Get the Right Home Gym Equipment

Once you’ve set a reasonable goal, make sure you have all the equipment you need to get started. This includes home gym equipment, fitness accessories, running shoes, fitness trackers, etc. No matter what your fitness goals are, you can find all the home gym equipment you need at our shop online or at one of our store locations. (We’ll touch upon the best fitness trackers in Step 4). Having all the fitness equipment that you need to achieve your goals will make it easier to fit in your workouts on days when you’re busy and can’t make it to the gym. 

3. Eat Right

Eating a healthy, balanced diet will promote weight loss and allow you to meet your fitness and weight loss goals faster and easier. Eating healthy foods will also help by improving your mood, energy and memory. When you’re eating balanced meals each day, you can also feel full for longer and have less cravings because your body is getting the nutrients it needs. This will keep you from craving unhealthy foods and snacking when you don’t need to be.  If you want guidance on what you need to do to eat right, consider consulting a nutritionist.

4. Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress can help you visually see how far you’ve come and help keep you motivated. Keeping an electronic or paper daily food journal and workout journal can help you track your progress. Make sure to record your workouts, how you feel, what you ate, anything that will help you track your progress. You might also want to take weekly or monthly photos to view your physical transformation, or measure and weigh your body to see body composition changes over time. MyFitnessPal is a great app to log and track calories, macros and more. There are lots of great apps out there to track your log your workouts. Here’s a list of the best fitness apps of 2021.

5. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is just as important as getting enough exercise. It’s important to be active in order to get fit or lose weight, but it’s also important to get enough sleep. Most adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep to be rested. Getting enough sleep can give you more energy, better performance, better coordination, as well as cognitive functioning. It can also promote better overall health: a stronger immune system, lower inflammation, and less risk of heart disease.

6. Find Support

No matter what your goal is, it’s to achieve if you have friends or family supporting you. Find a friend or family member who wants to set a similar fitness goal so you have someone to share in this process. Getting fit or losing weight doesn’t happen overnight. There may be times it will seem challenging and you’ll want to give up, or that you’re not making progress as fast as you’d like. We all go through this. Having a family member or friend to support you or train with you can make all the difference. If you don’t have a friend or family member, try hiring a fitness trainer or joining an exercise club or Meetup to find other individuals working on the same fitness or weight loss goals.

Knowing how to get fit and stay fit can seem hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Using this guide and these simple steps will help you learn to make your health and fitness goals a reality. Stick to these tips and you will find success with any fitness goal that you decide to set for yourself. Now that you know how to get fit and stay fit, it’s time to start working!