Setting Long Term Fitness Goals
By Olivia Pfeiffer
As I write you this article, I’m just one day away from running a half marathon in Philadelphia (and can hardly believe it). If you had told me a year ago that I would run a half marathon, I would’ve laughed in your face. I’m not a runner in the slightest, and before I started training for this I had never run more than 3 miles at a time. I’m not telling you this to brag — I’m telling you this because it can sometimes feel discouraging to hear about fitness goals from world class athletes who have been athletic all their lives. Though I cannot claim to be a personal trainer, I can offer tips as not only as to how to set goals, but how to stick with them!
1. Make your goal specific. In order to properly set a long term fitness goals, it is important to make your goal specific and precise.. It is important for your goal to be specific in order to make it attainable - having a “bikini body” by Spring Break is vague and conforms to many typical beauty standards. On the other hand, having a goal to run a 5k or complete 10 pull ups is specific and attainable. A clear goal also helps in creating a clear training plan that you can follow. Especially if you are setting a common goal, other people have probably posted fitness plans and workout routines in order to complete this. Looking on MapMyRun for running plans, or Pinterest for push up progressions, can provide both structure and inspiration.
2. Set a Timeline. As college students, you can shape your training plan around your semester or year or even a break. Alternatively, looking ahead to events that are in your area throughout the year can serve as a good calendar. Most major cities offer marathons, half marathons, and 5ks at least a few times a year, so if you are particularly looking to run a race, check out what is happening locally in your town!
3. Grab a Friend. Working with a friend can provide another form of support while you are pursuing a goal. However, you and said friend do not necessarily have to reach the same goal. Rather, if you are both pursuing similar goals, you can push each other to do your best but not feel competition or stress if the other person is reaching the goal faster than you are. For example, a friend of mine and I last semester had different goals in the gym --- I wanted to be able to squat a certain amount of weight, while she wanted to be able to do a certain amount of chin ups. Though we did not have the same routine, we always went to the gym at the same time. Having another person to hold us accountable made it more likely for us to not skip or slack off.
Have Fun With It! Fitness does not have to be painful and unpleasant in and of itself. If you set a goal that makes you miserable every time you try and attain it, then why are you doing it? Fitness can be fun and adventurous, and your goal can be whatever you want it to be. Try and scale a mountain for the first time if you are into rock climbing, or complete a challenge course rather than a simple run. Tough Mudder or Survival courses offer entertainment while also pushing your physical levels. Or you can dress it up! Run a 10k in a costume with a bunch of friends or go skiing for the first time with a mohawk helmet. Setting a long term goal is much more manageable when you are actively looking forward to reaching it, and when training gets hard can provide some light heartedness in the pursuit. In the end, setting long term fitness goals can seem a bit intimidating, but totally worth it when you finally cross the finish line or do a one-armed pull up.
