Committing to 12 months of fitness is a great way to kickstart your fitness journey and it also saves you some money in the long run! But, it can be difficult to stay motivated and stick to a regular gym routine over a long period of time. So to help you make the most of your annual membership, we've got a few tips to create achievable fitness goals you can commit to:

1. Narrow It Down
   Setting too many goals can be demoralising, keep things simple and allow yourself time and space to meet small steps. When setting your fitness goals it's easy to think of too many things which can make you feel overwhelmed and unfocused. Start small and reward yourself often, that is the happiest way to make progress.
   
   The best way to start and stick to something is to narrow it down. Perhaps you want to do 1 pull-up unassisted or run 5km without rest. A clear and simple goal is the best way to stay motivated for longer - and after you've achieved it you can then focus your efforts on something else.
   
   
2. Make It Measurable
   The easiest way to track your progress is to make your goal measurable. Saying you want to be "fitter" is great overall but is not specific enough to be measured - essentially, there will be no real indicator that you have succeeded as the main goal is too vague.
   
   It is more effective to set a specific and measurable goal. For example, you want to improve the length of your planks (measurable) and you ultimately want to hold a 3-minute plank (specific). This goal is much easier to manage over time, making it easier to achieve and stick to for longer.
   
   
3. Make It Long-Term
   Whilst it's always satisfying to achieve a goal quickly and feel the rush of instant gratification, it's also important to be realistic. Changes that will last take time, so it's important to set goals that may take a couple of months or a full year. This means that you might want to set smaller steps (see stepping stones below) along the way towards your ultimate objective. This also ensures you set goals as lifestyle changes, not just quick fixes.
   
   
4. Set 'Stepping Stone' Goals
   Having 1 main fitness goal is ideal, however, setting micro-goals in between can help to reduce the chances of you giving up halfway. These smaller goals give you a confidence boost on the way to your bigger goal. For example, if your main goal is to run 5km without rest a micro goal could be to comfortably complete 2.5km without rest. After which, you could incrementally add an extra 500m until you reach 5km.
   
   Ideally, you want to be able to reward yourself often. Exercise should be enjoyable after all!
   
   
5. Determine What Is Driving Your Goal
   It's important, to be honest with yourself. Fitness goals can be driven by insecurities, fear, social pressure, body image issues, etc. and it's essential to understand where YOUR goals are rooted. This is not only beneficial when setting your goals but also helps you to understand that achieving your goals may not get rid of those feelings. It can be much more complicated than that.
   
   Confronting this can bring up a lot of emotions and it's always a good idea to speak to someone if you feel like your goals are creating any extra anxiety.
   
   
6. Get Support
   You don't have to do this alone! Reach out to your local gym manager and they will help you to get in touch with one of our suitable Personal Trainers who can help you overcome any fitness obstacles you may have. It's natural to feel stuck at some point on your fitness journey, but we're always here to help you through it! We also offer Gym Guru support sessions to offer this kind of help - make sure you utilise all of the support you can as you will soon find out that everyone around you is sharing a journey just like you.
   
   Book a free Gym Guru time-slot here: http://welcomegym.eventbrite.com

Are you ready to commit to 12 months of fitness? Sign up for a Peak Annual Membership today and get 20% OFF until 31st August 2021! Visit https://www.welcomegym.co.uk/join/new/ to join now.