Written By Paisley Hansen / Reviewed By Ray Spotts
Every serious or casual athlete typically has some sort of fitness goal. This goal can be widely varied from person to person and interest to interest, and that is part of what makes fitness so great. Everyone can choose an activity that plays to their strengths!
For example, a runner's goal might be running a half marathon in under three hours, while a lifters goal might be maxing out on their favorite set of weights. Even still, a mountain biker's goal could be finishing a huge climb up his or her local mountain, while an MMA fighter's goal might be to win the next tournament.
Variation of fitness goals is as varied as people themselves. While it may seem like there is no set of advice that could potentially apply to all of these athletes, that is not the truth. Here are five strategies for reaching that fitness goal for just about anyone who is anywhere in their fitness journey.
- Supplement Your Diet to achieve your fitness goals
Nutrition is key to reaching goals. While focusing on eating a whole food-based diet can be key, you cannot get every macro and micro nutrient that you need from food alone, especially if you have other things going on in your life and cannot perfectly plan every single meal!
One way to overcome this obstacle and achieve the levels of macro nutrients that you need would be to start using protein powder in a post exercise shake or drink after every workout. This will allow you to supplement your diet responsibly and reach your macro nutrient protein-related goals.
- Focus on Eating Real Foods to achieve your fitness goals
Food is fuel and medicine. If you want to keep reaching your goals, focusing your meals on eating unprocessed foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables will give your body what it needs to reach your fitness goals. An example of a healthy meal might be a big salad bowl with baked sweet potato, chickpeas and a variety of vegetables.
- Take Rest Seriously to achieve your fitness goals
Rest and recovery is half of the athlete's battle to success. If you are not seriously trying to get sufficient sleep and recovery time after exercising then you are working against yourself! It may seem silly, but you can try setting a firm bedtime with yourself most nights and go through a relaxing routine to calm down your body so you can achieve proper rest. Your parents would be so proud!
- Practice a Non-Athletic Hobby to achieve your fitness goals
Relieving stress can help with burnout feelings. Find a hobby like knitting, baking or something else that allows you to create something and is not athletic at all. When you start feeling stressed and burned out on fitness, dive into this hobby!
- Start a Stretching Habit to achieve your fitness goals
Everyone talks about how important it is to strengthen your muscles, but far less people discuss how equally important it is to stretch those same muscles. If you simply work, work and work your muscles at the gym or on the track, over time, they will become more strong initially but more weak in the long run.
Without proper stretching techniques, those strong muscles will become so tight that they will seize up and leave you unable to do what you love because of injuries. This can be avoided by making a habit of stretching the same way you have made a habit of your athleticism and fitness. This can be as simple as following along with an easy yoga video targeted for your fitness specialty two to three times a week.
Fitness is one of life's greatest gifts. People who engage in all varieties of the fitness world know just how rewarding it can be to set a specific goal and then reach it with nothing but hard work and motivation. If you have a specific goal in your sight but are struggling to level up athletically so that you can reach it, then consider following one or all of these tips to help you get where you want to go!
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Written By:
Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, and growing young. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym. She loves hearing from readers so feel free to contact her through Facebook.
Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.
Photo by Dane Wetton on Unsplash