2010 Priority Numero Uno: Fitness

When friends ask me what I hope to gain from all the physical torture I subject myself to – outdoor running, body combat, body jam, hiphop classes – I simply tell them I want to have a body just like R&B sensation Ciara.  As silly as it may sound, I find having a celebrity peg for my personal fitness goals very helpful as it challenges me to go to lengths I would normally consider beyond my very limited capacity. Unfortunately, genetics did not gift me with her bone structure (and a curvaceous derriere and hips that can rotate in many different directions without much effort, among other things) but that won’t stop me from keeping my drive and desire to look even better than what I hoped to be in my 30s.   

For most part of my life, I never bothered myself with setting fitness goals – much less working on achieving them. Just like everyone else, I make half-baked attempts to watch what I eat and just pin my hopes on my metabolism  and hope that it does the rest of the leg work I wasn’t prepared to do myself.  When I discovered the joys of running in early 2009 and friends started to notice the difference, I was pleased with the results. The more excess weight I shed, the more determined I become to go the whole nine yards and blast them fats completely off my problem areas – hips, arms, midesction and thighs. I know I’m probably looking at a long, slow process of body sculpting and toning (the natural way of course) before I can achieve my ideal body, but I’m far from discouraged. Great bodies, after all, are not achieved overnight.

So even before 2009 grinds to a complete halt, I thought of revisiting my fitness goals and see in which areas I have made great improvements and where I have failed miserably. While I was pleased for the most part with my accomplishments, it also brought to fore some very unhealthy indulgences which I have not completely cast off – like bingeing on junk food and sweets  and drinking soda with meals instead of water.  Hence, a brand new list of fitness goals for 2010 and I’m sharing them with you in case you find yourself in the same ‘Oh-I’m-so-fat-I-can-hardly-fit-into-my-clothes-anymore-and-it’s-causing-my-self-confidence-to-dip-to-an-all-time-low’ situation that I was a year ago and hopefully help you decide to reshape your body, feel better about yourself, and live smarter and healthier.

When trying to become more physically active, it is good to set realistic health and fitness goals and monitor your progress on a regular basis. But before embarking on any exercise routine, you must remember to see your doctor for a medical check-up particularly if you are over 40 years, overweight, haven’t exercised in a long time or suffer from a chronic medical condition. On Goal Setting: To start off, here are the main principles of effective goal setting that you need to consider: Pinpoint your ultimate goal and break them down into small, specific, and achievable mini-goals. Write them down and share them with others. Work with your peers or trainer in finding the best way to achieve your goal. Monitor your progress regularly. Adapt your goals to fit changing circumstances. Don’t get caught up in just one workout routine. Just like in fashion, it helps to mix and match workout routines to zero-in on specific body parts or problem areas. Don’t berate yourself or give up if you fall short. And don’t eat your depression or frustration away either! Lastly, include a reward in your goal-setting process. Plan for how you will benefit if you meet this goal. Reward can be a trip to a nudist colony – okay, that may be way over-the-top, so maybe a trip to Phuket or Bali where you can show off that body you’ve worked so hard for. Identify your ultimate goal Here’s how: Be realistic. Your ultimate fitness goal should be something achievable like maybe becoming fit enough to join an international marathon or a locally-organized triathlon.  At the end of the day, not all of us can be super athletes or supermodels no matter how hard we try, but by working on what’s realistic for you is already one step to feeling good and looking good. Write this goal down in a training diary. In coming up with your ultimate fitness goal avoid general statements like ‘I plan to lose weight’. Again, be specific. Make it measurable. Exactly how many kilograms do you want to lose? Or exactly how small do you want your waist to shrink into? Choose a goal that is meaningful and important to you, not to anybody else. Remember, this is YOUR fitness goal so if for example, your partner wants you to shed more weight but you’re happy as you are, it may be difficult for you to commit to an exercise routinethat you can sustain in the long term. Ways  to achieve your ultimate goal Deciding on a health and fitness goal is a start BUT you need to have a workable plan to reach that goal. Different fitness goals require different approaches. For example, weight loss requires you to regularly burn more than you consume. Here are some strategies you may consider: Choose aerobic activities such as walking, dancing, or something that would require you to get on your feet and start taking care of those unsightly jiggles. Exercise for at least 30 minutes on all or most days of the week. Cut back on junk food and carbonated drinks such as soda. Alcohol too, if you drink on a regular basis. Eat smaller food portions and drink lots of water. Increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and wholegrain foods in your daily diet. Monitor your progress regularly Just as important as setting achievable goals is making these goals measurable. Decide how you are going to monitor your progress and record every detail in a training diary. These may help: Measure your progress in concrete ways. For example, if you are exercising to lose weight, keep track of your weight loss preferably on a weekly basis. Find as many different ways to monitor your progress as you can. For example, if you are on a weight loss program, you might like to record your exercise sessions, daily diet and weekly measurements. Include achievements such as feeling more energetic or fitting into a smaller pair of jeans. Give yourself plenty of ways to succeed. Celebrate your progress. NOT by eating back the fats you lost but maybe by getting a new pair of jeans  or dress that’ll flatter your new figure. Adapt to changing circumstances Life and work can interrupt your training schedule, that’s a fact. But there are ways to ensure you keep to your fitness goals, here’s how: Come up with ways to work around interruptions. For example, you may not be able to exercise in your usual way when on holidays or work travel, but you can always walk or use the hote/resortl fitness facilities. If you get injured or ill, don’t be too quick to abandon your fitness goals. Instead, adjust your ultimate goal’s time frame and come up with mini-goals to keep you on track while you recover. For example, you may be too ill to exercise, but you can improve your diet. In some cases, you may find that you are able to achieve your fitness goal ahead of target, so go ahead and set another goal. However, if your fitness goal seems beyond you, set your sights a little lower and keep motivated.