Create an effective fitness plan for sustainable health and fitness.
We’re in the third month of the new year. How are you doing on your fitness goals?
The arrival of a new year drives the momentum, enthusiasm and commitment for health and fitness goals. Now is about the time when some of the new year momentum may be slowing down. Right?
We’re not ready to give up. Never. Possibly make a few changes but never give up.
Do you have a plan? Is your plan working? Evaluate your current plan or create a new one with these tips:
1. START FROM WHERE YOU ARE
Create a vision of progress and success based on your fitness level. It doesn’t matter how fast you can run or the weights you can lift today. What matters is that you improve and make progress toward meeting your goal. This is all about you.
2. ENJOYMENT
Make a list of physical activities that you enjoy, or that you would like to try, starting with the one you like the most.
3. GOALS
Write down three things that you would like to accomplish in terms of health and fitness. Be very specific with goals, such as how much and by when you want to accomplish these them. Make sure you goals include activities you enjoy. If you don’t like running, running a marathon might not be the goal for you.
4. Total Body PLAN
Create a plan that includes activities to address total body fitness:
- Cardiorespiratory Endurance
- Muscular Strength/Endurance
- Flexibility
- Rest
5. SCHEDULE
To create a long-term effective workout plan, it is vital that you make fitness a priority in your daily scheduling. Plan your fitness just as you would any other appointment and block off that time in your day.
6. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Set up resources to track what you do on a daily basis. Focus on your accomplishments big and small. Use the information you choose to track (e.e., amount of weight, pace, weight loss, etc.), Use the information to evaluate the effectiveness of your plan and make changes if something’s not working for you.
7. PREPARATION
An effective workout plan can help you avoid setbacks when life happens and things come up [as they inevitably will]. Plan ahead for obstacles and identify alternatives.
8. ACTION
Even with the best of plans the effectiveness and success are up to you. It is up to you to take action and follow through every day.
9. EVALUTION
Don’t skip this step! Evaluate your fitness plan on a regular basis and honestly reflect on the following questions:
- What is going well?
- What is not going so well?
- What were my obstacles and did I overcome them?
- What is not working that I need to change?
- What about the plan am I enjoying?
Plan, prioritize and take action each and every day. It is a fluid process that is extremely empowering, inspiring and enjoyable. Remember, start slowly and don’t get discouraged when you fail—simply move on and refocus on your detailed plan. And always keep in mind the many positive benefits of physical fitness, because it can truly change and save your life.
I would love to chat:
What is the more important part for the success of your fitness plan? What’s the best advice you’ve ever received for sustainable lifelong fitness?
be the best version of YOU
LOVE these tips, Jill! Esp about starting from where you ARE, not where you wish you could be!!
I enjoy your plans. I have to start slowly again. So frustrating when two years ago I was running half marathons and now I can barely walk a mile.
I think it is important to enjoy your workout and I should do more to track my progress. I need to start upping my game.
The most important part for me is definitely #2, enjoyment. That’s the only way it’s possible to put in the necessary work. I’m doing a lot of work off-ice so my knees and back will behave when I’m skating. The bonus to that is that my hips are getting a lot stronger.
I always forget to focus on items I actually ENJOY and make me feel good… but I’m working on it. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Thank you for being so motivating. Love reading your blog, it inspires me so much. Your tips are always great.
Ive been focusing on toning since the New Year. I am happy with what I’ve been doing. It’s important for me to have a rest day or two because I just get bored and I do have bad knees. All those squats are killing them!
I haven’t had the opportunity to work out since I’ve been battling a bad cold for over a week. However, I can’t wait to get back into the groove of working out!
I like how you add enjoyment and evaluation sections. They’re different from other blog posts because they add a personal touch to it and encourages readers to take action as well and go back to thinking about
One of the biggest mistakes I have made in the past has been skimping on the “rest” part! Live and learn! My goal this year is to hit the specific training paces – EASY on easy days, HARD on hard days – and to allow for more rest and recovery.
I find Im all in or I completely fall apart. The best thing for me to maintain success is having accountability to a couple of friends. I completely agree on the writing down of your goals…. that made a huge difference for me because I would then read what the goal was if I was considering bailing for the day. It always makes me get up and go to workout!
I needed this today! I was doing so well this year and then just gave up when I had a health set back. Time to get back to it!
Great tips! I find if I don’t set a plan, and really push myself I don’t bother. I think reminders like this, with some great tips are so helpful!
Hi Jill, I found your blog while looking for link-parties to join. I love your content and will be coming back often I think 🙂 Thank you for hosting the link.up, I am looking forward to meeting many other fitness bloggers. I like this article also, very valuable tips. I work out from home (home gym), so I always plan ahead my week on sundays and arrange my workouts according to my time (med school intern).
Wish you a great weekend!
xoxo
Deniza
I’m a huge planner and list maker, so this speaks right to my heart! Love it! I’m in the process of creating a new fitness plan for me, so I appreciate your tips Jill!
i always have a plan but it is so inconsistent 🙁 also i m not very good at evaluating if its working for me. thanks for the reminder.
My plan is going pretty good – it could be better. I am sticking with my clean eating plan I started in october as I am still losing but now I know I NEED to get on my workout plans
Changing my focus a few times a year – sometimes more running focused, sometimes more strength focused – helps me stay motivated!
This is spot on! I can’t seem to get a good rhythm going lately for working out. Some days it just doesn’t happen. I want to work out to build some muscle, not so much for weight loss, I am happy with my current weight. I dont do well with cardio at all due to breathing issues from allergies. Any suggestions?
Before we moved I had finally come up with a workout planned that work for my schedule AND made me happy and then I had to start all over! It has been hard to get back in to it but this post will help me figure it out again! 🙂
My workout plan is pretty much non-existent. Which sucks. I have been dealing with a wicked cold for the past 2 months and I have to be super careful not to over exert myself or I risk having an asthma attack. I can’t wait to get back to my zumba!
You provided some really awesome tips! It’s March already…the first quarter of the year is almost up, and yet I have not achieved my weight loss goals. I really hope to create a workout plan and stick to it!
I need variety for my plan to work, I get bored easily! I vary my cross training and strength to keep it interesting 🙂
That is a very solid plan! I love to have a goal and I like to track my results! Seeing progress makes getting out of bed so much easier! TGIF Jill!
Great tips! Enjoyment is SO huge for me. I have to love a workout or I flat out won’t do it.
I love this post because I’ve been meaning to step up my work out game lately but can’t figure out where to start. This helped! xx felinebykatsairs.com
Such a great action plan, Jill. The best advice I’ve received…and try to give is to enjoy the sweat and move in a way your body loves. Everyone enjoys different things and if you can find what works for YOU, it’s going to be a lot easier to stick with it!
I love your posts! They always remind me that I do need to take care of myself. To make that happen I have to plan for it and sometimes schedule it in!
This is very timely for me. I’m just finishing up a strength training program so it’s a great time for me to reevaluate my plan going forward. Thanks for the tips Jill.
These are such great tips! True for all life changes – not just fitness. Thanks for sharing.
Great post! I am hoping to maintain my level of fitness after my marathon in a few weeks and this will be a great post to use at that point. In my opinion, the three main challenges of sticking to a training plan is not having enough variety, not picking activities you enjoy, and then not planning ahead for obstacles such as just having enough time of the day.
Starting from where you are is very important advice. Most people think I am so far behind why even bother! Thanks for hosting!
If you don’t enjoy it you won’t have success. You must find a workout that works for you and make it more challenging as you progress.
Starting from where you are and not where you want to be is key to succeeding for sure and I think a common mistake people make. Really good tips!
Planning ahead for obstacles really always catches me because when do I have a week that does not have something come up that takes my extra time? Almost never! Important post topic. Have a great weekend!
Setting goals and tracking my progress is so important for me so I can see progress.
You nailed it right on the head! For me when I have a goal to my workouts and my fitness, I not only see better results, but I am more INSPIRED in each and every workout!
i think finding something you enjoy and will stick to is the most important. doesn’t matter what the latest “fad” is, if you don’t love it, you will find every excuse in the book not to do it! great post!
Great tips! A very solid plan. Thanks for hosting the link up 🙂
My workout plan is pretty solid right now-it’s just motivating myself to do the home workouts that’s an issue for me. My couch is so comfy! haha I’m about to add in even more with PT twice a week so my plan will have to change a bit. Scheduling workouts does really work though! Great post!