It may seem easy to begin a new fitness plan, but those who have tried to significantly increase their fitness levels will tell you that is not the case. It is important to create a plan that is based on achievable goals that will keep you motivated to keep going.

The first thing you need to do is to make a list of some fitness goals. For most people, this part is very easy. Everyone has an idea of things they would love to be able to do, ways they want to change their body, or an ideal weight. Write them all down.

Making your fitness plan work for you…

Now you are going to set that list aside. Those are the long term goals that you will continue to aim for, but now it is time to determine what you are going to change right now.

Start a new list. This one should include what you are going to change right now as the first step towards your larger goals. This first step should be very reasonable and take into consideration your current level of fitness.

For example, if you currently don’t exercise at all, you might try to go for a walk around the block three days a week. If you live a more active lifestyle, you might decide you are ready to commit to going to the gym twice a week. It is important that the goal you set doesn’t seem like a huge leap for you.

Not only is it more likely for you to quit altogether out of frustration if you start out with too much too soon, but you could injure yourself jumping into activities you haven’t done for a long time.

As time goes on, you will set your goals higher and higher. Each time you adjust your goals you will be one step closer to the long-term goals that you wrote down at the beginning.

Periodically look over those long-term goals so that you can remember why you are doing this new routine and what you are aiming for. Sometime progress will seems slow and you will be frustrated because your body isn’t changing overnight.

It is a good idea to record each new set of goals and the progress you made so that when you are feeling down you can look back and see how far you have come. In addition, recording your goals will help keep you accountable. It is hard to establish a new lifestyle, and changing from a mainly sedentary lifestyle to a more active one is no exception.

Making your fitness plan work for you… if possible

Sometimes it can seem like being fit is just not possible. It is too difficult and not for you. That doesn’t need to be true. You can be fit if you put your mind to it. If you start slow and make small achievable goals, you will see real change over time.

Even if the changes seem slow ate first, give yourself the credit you deserve for taking the first steps in the right direction. You can make the change.