In theory, starting a new fitness journey is easy: it’s the following through part that presents difficulty. Anybody can invest in workout gear or sign up for a gym membership or online program. You inevitably encounter a few hurdles, which you have to overcome to help you accomplish your fitness goals. The good news is that you can employ numerous strategies to help you succeed.
Tiredness, boredom, and self-confidence can all hinder your drive to exercise. When you are aware of common obstacles, however, you hold the power. You can anticipate these hurdles and take action to jump over them. In the best case scenario, you set yourself up to completely avoid them, but this is rarely the case. If you do encounter them, pull up those leggings, tighten those laces, and get ready to overcome them like a veteran to make your fitness goals stick.
Hurdle 1: Failure To Establish A Plan
It’s easy to get excited about setting fitness goals and the thought of what you’ll look/feel like after accomplishing them. You can’t achieve your goals if you don’t establish a game plan, though. If you want to increase muscle mass, how do you plan to do that? In order to reach your goal, no matter what it is, plan your way to success. Lay out exactly what you need to do and ask fitness people what they do for inspiration. In addition to establishing a plan, set smaller fitness goals to accomplish along the way. Upon achieving them, you’ll boost confidence and reinvigorate that drive to reach the final destination.
Hurdle 2: Unrealistic Goals
You want to lift the heaviest set of dumbbells after one week of workouts, right? Wrong. Setting unrealistic goals is the best way to experience failure. When you don’t hit your impossible target, it’s easy to doubt yourself and give up. Rather than saying you will reduce your mile time by two minutes in 10 days, be honest with yourself. When you set accessible goals, you’ll find that it’s easier to stay committed and continue with your fitness regimen.
Hurdle 3: You Can’t Find The Time
This is a common reason why people fall off their fitness programs. One of the most common things that trainers hear is, “I just don’t have the time to work out.” There are a select number of people who are very busy and can’t even carve out 30 minutes a day to exercise. For the most part, though, everyone can find the time. In order to make time for your workouts, you have to schedule a specific workout time. Next, treat your session like an appointment that you can’t miss. Set reminders on your phone if you have to! If you can’t workout before or after work, consider incorporating 20-30 minutes of movement into your lunch break. You can also exercise while watching TV, and you can click here for those workouts.
Hurdle 4: Comparing Yourself To Others
Whether you look on Instagram or see another gym-goer, comparison is the easiest way to feel insecure about yourself. Not only that, but comparing yourself to others can discourage you from working out altogether. Other people are so perfect and have tone physiques. How can you ever achieve a body like that? First off, stop comparing yourself to others because it’s not healthy or conducive to your fitness goals. It may take you longer to run as far or lift as heavy as someone else, but that’s completely fine. Everyone is different and the body takes time to progress. Celebrate your progress and be proud of what you accomplish.
Hurdle 5: Exercise Is Boring
It’s natural to tire of repetitive workouts, especially if you exercise three to five times per week, or even every day. The moment exercise becomes boring is the moment your motivation fades away. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring, though. If you only go to the gym, consider changing up the workouts you do. See if your gym offers yoga, spin, bootcamp, or other group classes. Additionally, consider changing up your routine to exercise different muscle groups. Condition your body by swimming, cycling, or with HIIT workouts. Lastly, join forces with friends, relatives, or fellow gym-goers for encouragement and accountability.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
