Setting fitness goals is great. Having goals helps you to stay on track and gives you a way to measure your progress. The act of setting goals itself can be exciting and hitting them is a fantastic confidence boost. But actually reaching them isn’t always as easy as we’d like it to be. Sometimes even when our goals are perfectly realistic, we just can’t seem to get there. Progress stalls, gains are slow to come, and what should be a confidence boost turns into quite the opposite. If you are struggling to reach your goals and you need a boost, or you just want a little extra help, here are some things that you can do, which really work.
Change Your Diet
If your goals seem to be out of reach, it might not be what you are doing in the gym or on the track that’s the problem. It might be your diet. To hit your targets, you need to be eating a diet that boosts your energy levels, filled with complex carbs to keep you going but also plenty of protein to aid muscle recovery and growth. Try cutting heavy carbs which can make you feel tired and sluggish and instead add extra protein to your diet. If you want to make faster gains, or really push your body, you might need the extra support of a supplement like Turkesterone. This article lists the pros and cons to help you to decide if it’s right for you and your fitness plan.
Drink More Water
Hydrating helps your body to recover and build strength. It will also increase your energy levels and help you to perform at your best. Prioritize hydration, both on workout and rest days, for the best results.
Utilize Active Recovery Days
Rest days are incredibly important when it comes to avoiding injury and building muscles. But doing nothing on rest days can lead to stiffness, muscle tension, and loss of motivation. Instead, perform active recovery days, doing things that you enjoy, like walking, yoga, or swimming, which will help to stretch out your muscles and boost circulation to tired, sore spots.
Give Your Workouts Purpose
Heading to the gym or out for a run without any purpose can mean that you don’t push yourself or make the most of your time. Go in with a plan for your workout; knowing what you want to do and what you want to achieve means you are more likely to push your body and get a great workout. Always working out with purpose will make those long-term fitness goals much easier to reach.
Cross-Train
If your goals are strength-based, you’ll probably find that adding some cardio to your routines will boost your stamina and heart health, allowing you to work harder. If your goals are more cardio-inspired, adding some strength training will tone your muscles, allowing you to push harder and faster. Try to balance strength and cardio to reach your goals faster too.
Join a Club or Get a Gym Buddy
Some people love to work out alone. It can be an excellent mental health boost if it gives you some much-needed time alone. But most people hit goals faster if they work out, at least some of the time, with a friend or as part of a group.
Stay Off the Scales
Weighing yourself is great if you need to lose weight, but if you are looking to build fitness, the number on the scales is unlikely to help. Scales don’t tell you about fat composition, muscle mass, or your fitness levels and it’s easy to become obsessed with weight loss and to forget all of the things that you are gaining on the way to your goal.
Manage Stress
Exercise is fantastic stress relief, but if you are stressed out you are unlikely to have the energy to perform at your best. Keep exercising, but while you are stressed, go easy on yourself, and explore other tools to keep stress in check.
Remember, hitting goals is great, but there are so many other benefits of exercise. Sometimes, it’s important to take a step back and think of these. You’ll soon find that you’ve pushed through and are hitting your targets once more.
