Before you walk into the gym, lift one weight, run one mile or take any steps to get fit and in better shape, you need to figure out a few things. You need to know why it’s important for you to exercise. Not why exercise is important. We all know the information on that, but why it matters to you.
Set the Right Goals
The reason you want to workout will determine your goals. If you want to lose weight, you’ll do different exercises than if you want to build strength or endurance. If your goal is to run a marathon, your workout will look different than if you want to recover from an injury. Know what you want to accomplish so your workout matches your goals.
Don’t Waste Time
If you know your purpose in exercising, you won’t waste time doing activities that don’t matter to your goal. People with no reasons behind exercise often lose motivation and stop working out because they don’t see results. It’s an activity that can be cut out when life gets busy because there are no results.
Know When to Push Harder
When you have specific goals in mind for your workouts, you know when to keep pushing. You’ve lost 40 pounds and you want to lose 20 more. You’re going to work a lot harder because you’re over halfway to your goal. Maybe you’ll get a personal trainer or take a new exercise class.
You’ll get more out of exercise when you have a reason for doing it. Mindlessly walking on a treadmill at a comfortable pace day after day won’t help you achieve big results. But running on that treadmill, increasing the speed, difficulty or distance will help you reach those goals.
Figure out why you want to start exercising, and you’re sure to get more benefit out of the challenge.