How many times have you started a workout routine only to stop weeks or months later? It is great to want to slim down, bulk up, run faster, or train harder. But if we aren't smart about trying to reach our goals, most likely they won't become a reality. In this third installment of our new fitness column, London-based trainer Aaron Breckell tells you how to smarten up and get fit once and for all. 

Aaron Breckell
Aaron Breckell
loading...

FROM THE DESK OF AARON BRECKELL

Set Goals!

Setting goals will keep you focused and having them means you'll be more likely to achieve them. Here's what I want you to do right now: Grab a pen and paper. I want you to write down three goals. (Writing the goals makes it more personal.)

The first is one you want to achieve over the year, this is your long term goal. The second is one you want to achieve in six months, this is medium term. Thirdly, this goal should be achieved in three months, this is your short term goal. Each of these goals should be "smart" and has to abide by these rules.

S - specific
M - measurable
A - achievable
R - realistic
T - time bound

If you find a form of exercise you enjoy you'll be more likely to stick to it!

Once you've done this you can go ahead and break the goal down further. How am I going to achieve this? What do I need to do? Answers could be:

  • Exercise at the gym three times a week.
  • Take 10,000 steps a day.
  • Drink at least three liters of water per day consecutively for three months.
  • Eat breakfast to boost my metabolism etc.

Done? Good! You'll thank me for it come April, when you've achieved your first goal and everyone else has crumbled, dropped out and failed!

Aaron Breckell
Aaron Breckell
loading...

Find A Form Of Exercise You Actually Enjoy

When it comes to New Years resolutions, a busy gym with a row of packed, humming treadmills comes to mind. For most this is incredibly boring and unsustainable. However, if you find a form of exercise you enjoy you'll be more likely to stick to it. Why not try walking, swimming or cycling? You can even think outside the box. How about canoeing or karate?

About Aaron Breckell

Aaron Breckell is a fitness blogger and freelance trainer. He has worked in the fitness industry for three years in various gyms and has worked with a wide range of clients all working to achieve different goals. He currently works for a five-star premium health club in the South East of England in Surrey, UK. Read his blog, FIT In Five Hundred Words and follow him on Facebook and Google+.

More From Power 95.9