The Key To Setting Empowering Health Goals

Let’s talk about GOALS! 

Goals are something we talk about a lot here at Sweat, whether you’re preparing for the Sweat Challenge, trying to keep your motivation levels high, or are at the beginning of your fitness journey and about to try your first workout.

Many people tend to think of the New Year as the perfect time to hit refresh on their goals, and as much as we love the feeling of a fresh start, goal setting shouldn’t only be reserved for the month of January. You can do something positive for yourself and set health goals ANY time of year.

But how do you make sure those goals are truly healthy and will leave you feeling empowered and energised rather than deflated and worn out? Here’s what you need to know.

What are healthy goals?

A healthy goal is one that is unique and meaningful to you and sets a positive tone for your health and fitness journey, especially when it comes to how you think about your body. 

A big part of this is knowing how to define your why. When creating goals, it can be helpful to ask yourself, why am I going after this goal? Will chasing and achieving this goal help me to feel good physically and mentally?

You and your best friend could both be trying to nourish your bodies, hit a daily step target and complete a few workouts each week, but your fitness experience will be completely different if you are motivated by feelings of guilt instead of a desire to feel energised and strong.

If your goals or source of motivation will leave you feeling drained or achieving them won’t put your health and happiness in a better place, you might want to go back to the drawing board. Sticking to healthy habits can definitely be challenging at times, but it should ultimately shift your feel-good dial in a positive direction.

Where to begin

Ready to start making new health and fitness goals for the right reasons? Here are some handy tips to get started and set yourself up for success: 

Decide why you’re doing it

Is your health and fitness journey about feeling stronger, more confident, having increased energy, or being more in-tune with your body? Perhaps you want to de-stress, be a healthy role model for your kids, sleep better or reduce your risk of illness. 

Knowing why your goal is important to you is not only a powerful source of motivation, it’s going to help clarify what goals suit you and help you plan your journey best. 

Get specific

Now that you’ve figured out what is most meaningful to you about pursuing a healthy lifestyle, it’s time to get specific about your goals so you can track your progress and celebrate each milestone. 

Specific goals could look like this:

• 3x strength workouts each week for 10 weeks

• 8-10k steps each day for a month

• Being in bed by 10 pm each night

• Finishing a Sweat program

• Drinking two litres of water every day

• Setting specific weight lifting targets

• Making one new healthy recipe each month

• Cooking dinners at home at least four nights a week

Use the SMART goals framework to make your goals specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound and you’ll be well on your way!

Good things take time

When setting any goal, it’s easy to get excited and set an ambitious deadline or expect to see progress within a week. To have a healthy mindset towards your goals, it’s important to know that change doesn’t happen overnight. 

Seeing changes in things like your cardio fitness, muscle strength and size and body composition all take time. Give yourself some grace and be patient with your journey - good things come to those who wait!

Know that setbacks are normal 

When it comes to smashing your goals, day one can look very different to day 100. Having a healthy relationship with your goals means giving it your best, but also knowing it’s normal to experience setbacks and fluctuations in your energy, motivation and time. 

Embrace the power of community

As the African Proverb goes, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Having support from others goes a long way on your best days and your worst, whether you need encouragement, a listening ear, a workout buddy or some accountability. This could be a friend, family member, or even someone in the Sweat Community.

The path to success

Setting goals as part of a nutrition plan or workout program is really important for your success and enjoyment, both short and long-term. 

While there aren’t any shortcuts when it comes to prioritising your wellbeing, setting health and fitness goals that are meaningful and motivating for you is a surefire way to set yourself up for a feel-good journey.