If you know you want to make changes to your body before the summer gets here, now is the perfect time to get started. Some people try to avoid setting health and fitness goals in the winter because of the notoriously high failure rate of New Year’s resolutions. However, putting off weight loss goals until the last minute is never a good idea. It makes reaching them harder and can lead to serious health consequences. This is what science has to say about getting a head start on your summer health, fitness, and weight loss goals.
Plans Can Take Time To Implement
Even if your plans are fairly minimalist, they may still take some time to bring to fruition. After all, things worth doing can take time to make a reality. So, if you have visions of swimming laps and lounging poolside all summer, go ahead and start shopping at the various pool designs Las Vegas to find the perfect addition to your yard. Getting started now lets you take advantage of the off-season lull, so you are ready to swim to your heart’s desire once summer rolls around.
Habits Don’t Happen Overnight
No matter how much you want to change and develop new, healthy habits, those changes won’t happen overnight. The more time you give yourself to make them, the better your outcomes will be. A study designed to predict and model real-world habit formation showed that the time it takes to solidify a new habit can range from about two weeks to more than eight months. Variables such as individual personality, motivation, and how difficult the new habit was to integrate into a routine affected the outcome. Another major factor was consistency, so you want to be sure to choose your new desired behavior whenever possible. That will help it become a natural reaction to a situation, which is what defines a true habit.
If you aren’t familiar with SMART health goals, then now is a good time to quaint yourself with the concept. They use a specialized format to boost effectiveness and encourage success. No matter what type of change you are trying to effect, all SMART goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-Bound
Success Comes With Tiny Steps
One of the best reasons to get a jumpstart of summer fitness goals is because the sooner you start, the better your chances of long-term success. It is fairly well known that quick weight loss results don’t last very long. That can lead to a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting and have negative health consequences. There is research indicating that continuously losing and gaining weight adds stress to the heart, which manifests as higher rates of heart disease and nearly doubles the incidence of heart attack or stroke.
Knowing that the best things come to those who wait doesn’t make the waiting any less frustrating. However, it is important that you stick with slow and steady progress toward your fitness goals. Those baby steps let you make true progress toward change, so the results you achieve will last and you won’t have to go through this (again) next year.
Some Goals Require Saving
SMART goals don’t just apply to health objectives. you can also use the system to set and achieve financial goals. That’s great news if your summer beach body is crying out for a new elliptical or connected piece of equipment. Instead of taking on debt to achieve your desired transformation, planning ahead lets you start saving early.
Start by determining how much you will need to save for the equipment you really want. Look for less expensive alternatives if it isn’t realistic. There are often great buys in used fitness equipment in the early spring as people abandon New Year’s resolutions, so you might be able to take advantage of that perk. Once you decide on a savings goal, work to develop a budget that allows you to save enough to meet that need.
Now is the time to develop new habits and bring about real change in your overall health and fitness levels. Take small steps and work slowly toward your summer bod goals for the best chance at success.
Tags: goals, Motivation, summer
