How to Set and Achieve Realistic Health Goals

It is important to set health goals that you can actually meet in a realistic way. Here’s a quick guide on how to set and achieve realistic health goals.

Keyword(s): health goals

80% of Americans don’t meet the guidelines for physical activity. If you’re going to improve your health and avoid being part of this statistic, you need to set realistic health goals.

Most people think they need to dive head-first into a health and fitness routine to get healthy. The truth is, the more pressure you put on yourself, the harder it’s going to be to build the habits that lead to healthy living. What you really need to do is set realistic goals for yourself and gradually improve over time.

Today, we’re going to tell you first, how to set realistic goals, and second, how to achieve them. There’s no denying that getting started is the hardest part, but keep reading and we’ll help you create the right mindset to improve your health in the long term.

Know Your Habits

You can start this process by doing a bit of psychoanalysis on yourself. Think about what’s been stopping you from achieving your health goals all this time. Maybe you just haven’t set aside the time or you’re self-conscious about going to the gym.

If you can identify these hurdles, you can start to become mindful of when they’re cropping up. In the beginning, these old thought patterns are going to do everything they can to make it hard on you. Over time, however, the way you think about exercise will start to change and you’ll develop new healthy habits.

Focus on One Thing at a Time

A lot of people who decide to start exercising will look at themselves in a mirror and want immediate change. They’ll think about how they want to lose weight, get toned abs, and have big biceps. This creates problems because the more you try to do at once, the harder it becomes.

Setting too many goals at once is exhausting. It also sets you up for failure from the start – almost nobody can go from zero to a hundred right away.

Try to focus on one big goal at a time. If it’s running a 5K, focus on your cardio. If it’s becoming a yoga teacher, take one class first and see how it goes – when you’ve achieved one goal, you can move on to the next.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

When trying to improve your health, one of the trickiest things to do is not compare yourself to other people. It’s especially difficult in the age of social media, where people are constantly posting gym selfies and inspirational fitness posts.

It’s easy to look at someone who’s a bit further on with their fitness goals and feel like we’re not doing enough. Everyone has a different approach to health and fitness, so there are no rules that you have to follow. Set goals that make sense for where you are right now.

Use Measurements

By making your fitness goals measurable, you can better keep track of how it’s coming along. They should be as specific as possible so that you have a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve. Saying you want to lose weight is great, but that’s not really measurable.

Instead, say you want to run for 20 minutes per day. With something like this, you can gradually work your way toward the goal, then adjust once you achieve it. Other examples might be running a 5K by two months from now or being able to do 50 pushups without stopping.

Start With Activities You Enjoy

Getting off the couch and working out is going to be extra difficult if you hate what you’re doing. That sense of dread is hard to overcome and it usually results in exercising a few times and then giving up. Finding activities that you enjoy is essential if you’re going to create long-term change.

Whether it’s playing sports or going on long walks, choose things that give you an ulterior sense of satisfaction. Not only does it make your path to fitness easier, but you’ll build self-confidence that you can take with you as you set new goals.

Start with a Low Bar

You should have a somewhat loose definition of what success is when you’re trying to achieve fitness goals. Start with the bar low and gradually raise it over time, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You’re walking a tightrope in the beginning and the slightest gust of uncertainty can knock you off.

If your first few goals seem easy, you’ll have fewer mental obstacles and you can build upon each new achievement. Take baby steps now and when you look back in a few months or a year, you’ll see how far you’ve really come.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Building exercise habits is similar to quitting smoking. It could take attempt after attempt before you find a routine that sticks. While this is going on, you may get down on yourself for failing to stick to your plan, but this doesn’t help anyone.

If you’re going to get back on the horse, you need to take it all in stride. There’s nothing easy about building these habits, so all you can do is keep trying different things to see what works. Eventually, something will and you’ll find joy in healthy living, but there’s no rush.

Set Small Health Goals to Get to Big Ones

You’ll have major health goals, like running a marathon or getting to your ideal body weight. These overarching goals should be made up of smaller, more achievable goals that keep you motivated. It’s important to realize that those bigger goals might take time.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find satisfaction in the smaller goals that we’ve discussed here. Smaller achievements, like doing 10 pushups per day or gradually increasing the distance of your runs, will ultimately get you to your main goal.

Find Your Health and Fitness Footing in 2023

Achieving your health goals is possible with the right mindset. Stay focused on your goals, but don’t push yourself harder than you need to. Getting healthy is a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time and find activities that bring you joy.

If you found this post helpful, come back and visit us at Health Quest again for more on the latest health trends and news.