As government restrictions are starting to ease and we are on the pathway to returning to normality, getting back into our usual exercise routines can be challenging. Here are a few helpful tips to get you back on track:
- SMART Goals
Before starting an exercise regime, it is important to establish clear personal goals. Creating personal goals that you can relate to can help to drive motivation and is a great way to track your progress. SMART goals in particular stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely goal. Here are some examples of SMART goals:
- Run 5km in under 30minutes by 20thOctober
- Squat 80kg by 7th August
- Be able to complete the vacuuming of the house without any rests by 9th July
- Lose 10kg by 12th December
As you can see from the examples above, goals can come in all shapes and forms. By following these 5 guidelines to establish your goals you can track your progress through regular testing. This may take form through regular weigh in’s to see how much weight loss has been achieved or tracking how many times you rested when vacuuming. Additionally, short and long term SMART goals will further help with motivation through the feeling of accomplishment by achieving short term goals on the road to reaching your long term goal, which may take some time to achieve.
- Planning & Implementing
Once your goals are set, it is now time to set a plan to implement. This plan should reflect how you are going to achieve these goals. These will be completely dependent on each individual and their current circumstances. The following are a few things you may want to consider:
- When you plan to exercise?
- How you are going to fit your exercise it into your day?
- Are you going to exercise on your own or with someone?
- Are you wanting to attend exercise classes?
- How many days a week will you commit to?
- Staying Accountable
Lastly, it is important that once you have started to implement your plan, that you continue to stay on track and create behavioural change. One of the best ways to achieve this is to be accountable for your exercise. There are many ways in which we can stay accountable, and here are just a few:
- Exercising with friends / family
- Participating in group exercise class / having a trainer
- Regular check in’s from a 3rd party eg. Exercise Physiologist or other Health Professional
Through involving others in your exercise journey and goals, can provide further motivation and support to help you stay on track to achieve your goals. Nobody is perfect and sometimes we fall of the rails but having support from others can help us get back on the right track as quickly as we can. If needed, re-evaluation of your goals and/or exercise plan may be necessary