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Step 3: Get Active: Goals
Try to work activity into your daily life by setting realistic goals. Activity doesn't have to take up a lot of time in your day -- in fact, many people find that they can significantly increase their activity just by taking a few small steps.
It's essential to be realistic about what you can do -- either because you're busy, or because you simply haven't been active in quite a while. Some examples of realistic goals:
- Add 15 minutes of activity to your daily routine -- whether it's walking, playing with the kids, swimming, or another activity that you enjoy.
- When given the choice between walking or driving, choose walking -- going up the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking further away from the store. Or walk the kids home from school or activities.
- Each weekend day, spend an hour doing something physically active -- gardening, hiking, playing a sport, taking a fitness class.
Write down your goal and give yourself a timeframe -- say, one month -- to accomplish that goal. The timeframe is very important -- without it, you may lose momentum, and you won't know whether you've been successful.
At the end of the time period, ask yourself:
- Was I successful in accomplishing my goal?
- If not, what got in the way? And how can I overcome those obstacles? Perhaps I need a more realistic goal.
- If I was successful in accomplishing my goal, how can I build on that success and set a new, slightly higher goal?
By setting goals, meeting them, and then setting slightly higher goals, you will eventually exceed your own expectations about what you can do.
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