Setting Realistic Fitness Goals for 2018

So far, so good?

As the New Year rolls around, it only seems natural to reflect on the previous year and set goals and resolutions for the next.Like most people – 90% of people in fact – one of my goals, resolutions or whatever else you want to call it, is to improve my fitness and become more consistent with a routine.I always get the occasional “but look at you, you don’t need to work out” comment when I say that I need to go to the gym more, but I think that people forget that staying active means so much more than just losing weight or toning up. Sure, I have a few body hang-ups, but I also really really like food so I’ve accepted that my tummy is never going to be completely flat!Over the past year or so whilst struggling with my mental health, I have come to realise that physical health plays a huge part in keeping my mind in a good place. And that has become fundamental in why I want to exercise.I used to do nearly five hours of dancing a week when I was at school and university, but since starting the 9 til 5 life, exercise has somewhat taken a back seat and dropped down my priority list. Whilst I was struggling with anxiety I took up regular hot yoga classes, but I let life get in the way.Back in September, I finally plucked up the courage to join a gym and I was pretty good at going a few times a week, but again, I’ve slipped into a routine… of not going. So I’m hoping to change that in 2018.

Keepin’ it real

So I guess you can see where this is going – new year, new me?Sort of. My fitness goals for next year can basically be summed up as becoming the best version of myself. I know that if I actually put my mind to it and get my butt to the gym more than once a week, it will become a cemented part of my routine and I’ll be less likely to make excuses. When looking at goals for the next 12 months, it’s all too easy to say you want to completely transform yourself and your routine, but when you’re still finding your feet in the gym and still suffer from the occasional day of ‘gym-timidation’ when it’s really busy, setting unrealistic goals means you’re actually less likely to achieve them in the first place.My aims? I want to make going to the gym and exercising part of my routine. I want to get stronger and be able to run for longer. I want to make my routine more fun.So with that in mind, I thought I’d share with you what I’m going to do over the next 12 months to make sure I achieve my goals for next year.

Treating my gym sessions like a dinner date

No, I don’t mean I’m going to start taking Dan on dinner dates to the gym. I mean I’m going to diarise my gym sessions each week and commit my evening or morning to going, whether it’s a class or free session.I’ve bought myself a shiny new planner for the new year and I’ve got my Google calendar up and running so I can plan my time around work and other commitments. My gym is perfectly located about five minutes from home, a minute from Dan’s house and also on my way home from work. So whether I go early in the morning, on my way home from work or on a weekend, it’s kind of hard to avoid it when I have to drive past it!Committing one evening and one morning a week to a gym session where I prioritise it over everything else (obviously within reason!) will definitely help in making it a more regular occurrence in my routine.

Find the fun in exercise

I don’t know about you, but I hate exercising when it feels like exercising. The hardest thing I have found about going to the gym is how un-social it is. Everyone has themselves plugged into their music and is focussed on themselves. I enjoy my solo sessions to some extent, but it’s so much more fun with a gym buddy. So I’m going to start going to more classes and maybe stick to one solo session a week.For the last few months, I have been working with Vitality as part of their #WomenInSport campaign, with the aim of encouraging more women to take part in a team sport. I conquered my fear of playing sport and took up Netball sessions with a local team which I have surprised myself by really enjoying! I definitely want to carry on with my sessions into the New Year (however bad I might be!) because it’s a great way to meet new people, keep fit and learn brand new skills. You can read more about what myself and my other #WomenInSport teammates have learnt from starting team sports on the Vitality Blog!

You do you

Comparing yourself to fitness bloggers or other influencers on social media is absolutely the thief of joy when it comes to setting yourself goals, so to stop depressing myself and the negative feelings, I’m going to avoid this where possible! It’s amazing how just ten minutes of Instagram scrolling can change your mindset from a fairly positive to a negative one. Sure, you can have aspirations of what you want to look like or where you want to be, but it’s so important to remember that everybody is different, so I want to keep the focus on myself rather than everyone else.Of course, it absolutely helps when you’ve got some sassy gym wear whilst you’re working out! I love finding bold colours and fun leggings to wear to the gym or to my yoga classes. It’s definitely a little boost for yourself! Pretty Little Thing has an awesome activewear range to kit you out for the new year. You can shop everything I’m wearing at the end of this post.

Being the best you want to be

Everyone has to do what’s right for them and it’s totally okay not to stick to a really strict fitness regime. However, by setting yourself small, realistic goals, you are more likely to achieve more in the long run. For me, 2018 is going to be all about finding balance and what makes me feel best, whilst trying to stay committed.It’s all about trying to find the best version of me.

What keeps you motivated to work out? I’d love to hear your tips!

Photos by Kaye Ford

Activewear by Pretty Little Thing* [shopr_shopthepost collection=”pretty-little-thing-activwear” title=”Shop the post”]