Fitness guru Jeremy Bell: Developing realistic fitness goals

by Jeremy Bell

Narrowing down a fitness goal is no easy task; it often leads people down a road of confusion and frustration. The first step to develop a fitness and lifestyle goal is to formulate a REALISTIC plan. But before a plan can be in place you must pin down a few specific goals that you are looking to achieve. The key here is to try and not be too broad: narrow down one or two goals and then develop a realistic plan that will make these goals attainable.

Without a plan your goals may seem next to impossible, but with one they are more easily achieved and the process is made less stressful! In order to aid you in creating your plan and achieving your goals, I am going to outline the key aspects of goal attainment as it relates to fitness, as well as providing you with some valuable health and fitness related tips.

In no particular order:

• Be decisive and have a plan that is specific to your current goal.
• Narrow down fitness goals – try not to be to broad – conquer one thing at a time!
• Develop a plan that is realistically and easily attainable based on your current life situation and motivation levels.
• Start small and build big!
• Don’t be in a rush, fitness goals are a marathon, not a sprint.
• Take part in a form of fitness that you enjoy, especially at first, so that you can develop a positive association to health and wellness. Being physically active doesn’t just mean going to the gym, it can take on many forms–recreational sports, yoga, biking, hiking, or even walking the dog. The bottom line is that we, as human beings, need regular movement above and beyond our normal daily activities in order to stay healthy and happy.
• Today’s society places many individuals in careers that keep them relatively sedentary all day long. One of the most common issues we see, as a result of this, is lower back pain or sciatica. We also often see people who are, what we call, “locked long” on the back side of their body and “locked short” on their front side of their body. This is the result of long periods of sitting day after day, which can cause the tissues of the body to become quite fibrotic, resulting in a host of muscle and joint issues from lack of regular function and movement of the surrounding joints.
• Health and wellness is holistic. In order to be truly healthy you must address more than just physical fitness, but mental health, and diet.
• In terms of your diet, be realistic! Do some research to see what your daily caloric requirements are based on activity level, age, height and weight. Take ownership of the change you want to see!
• Have balance in your diet, don’t be overly hard on yourself (it is ok to have three cookies just not ten)! Moderation is key to long term success and sanity.
• Basic nutrition tip: The more active you are on a daily basis, the more likely your body is to be able to handle a higher carbohydrate intake. This is because your body will be utilizing these carbohydrates more effectively. If you are less active you will need less carbs and more proteins and plant based foods in your daily intake. When choosing your foods, choose quality sources: all food sources are not created equally. You get what you pay for in life and in food!
• The “My fitness pal” app is a great way to track daily intake as it relates to your current goal!

Being a healthy and productive human being isn’t something that is easy– it takes work, it takes a plan, and primarily, it takes patience! If you are interested in any further information or speaking with me regarding any area of health and wellness, I encourage you to contact me at jdbell1@ualberta.ca or (780) 803-2387.

Jeremy Bell is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and owner of Prime Performance Strength and Conditioning. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education specializing in Sports Performance from the University of Alberta, he is CanFitPro certified as a personal trainer, as well as an NCCP Level 1 Olympic lifting coach. Visit the Prime Performance website today at http://jdbell1.wix.com/prime-performance or on Facebook.