Fitness Walking Program

After determining where your fitness level is, your next step is determining where your fitness level should be. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or run a 10K, you need a specific plan to get you there: a set of realistic goals.

A vague (“get in shape”) or unrealistic (“lose 25 pounds before my class reunion in three weeks”) goal can be counterproductive and demoralizing. If you expect too much and you do not achieve it, you’re more likely to quit. Begin by writing down the final result you hope to achieve. Let’s say you’re starting a walking program. You can walk only two miles in an hour, and you would like to increase your walking speed to 4mph and add some hills.

Next, give yourself a realistic time frame and set a goal to mark the achievement of half of your goal, let’s say achieving a walk of 3 miles in one hour, and adding one hill, after walking for two months. Finally, cut your halfway goal in half again to give yourself a short-term goal of walking 2.5 miles in an hour over the next four weeks.

You can use a similar system, even when your goals are not quantifiable by numbers. Want to gain muscle and lose fat? You can set your goals in terms of the amount of weight you can lift, or the dress size you wear.

After you have got your goals in writing, think of them as a ladder then climb it!

Related Article: Cooling Down in Walking Fitness

Featured Image: Amac
Source by Taobao Eva