i get emails from RealAge.com and eDiets.com. heres one from realage:
Measuring Success
If you're out there doing it -- staying active and exercising regularly -- give yourself a huge pat on the back. You deserve it. It takes heart and determination to get up off that couch and regularly take a walk, hit the gym, or even do just a few pushups.
But whether you are exercising three or four times a week, every day, or once a week, ask yourself this question: Have you reached your goal?
Perhaps you're thinking, "What goal?" If so, read on. Goals are as essential as gym shoes when it comes to effective exercise.
What Goals Can Do for You
Research shows that people may be more likely to remain with an exercise program long-term if they set some goals. And it's especially helpful for people who are getting back into exercising after a long break or for people exercising for the first time. Goals give you a reason to get out there, get moving, and stick with it.
What's a Good Goal?
There should be two elements to your goal setting. One element is an in-the-moment type of short-term goal -- call this your exercise goal. How many sit-ups do you want to do? How many pounds do you want to lift? How many steps do you want to log on your pedometer? The second element is a down-the-road goal. Call this your fitness goal. This represents the long-term changes you'd like to see in yourself. Do you want to shrink your waist? Reduce your BMI? Lower your cholesterol or blood pressure? Beat your brother or sister at golf? Try new things every week and just have fun? Your long-term goal should be something that really motivates you.
And whatever your goals may be, reaching them will be much more fun if you follow these guidelines for setting goals:
* Make them specific. If your goal is lower blood pressure, get a specific number to strive for from your doctor. If your goal is to make exercise fun, give yourself a set number of things you have to try each week. If you simply want to get fit, use a specific tool for measuring how fit you're getting. Body-fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, and heart rate are good ones to try.
* Keep them realistic. It's good to aim high, but not if you're going to feel discouraged when you miss the mark. Set small, incremental goals that you can achieve over a period of time. For example, your goal may be to walk 4 miles every day. But if you're not a regular walker, start with 1 mile every other day and build up to your goal.
* Make them fun. If your goal is to work out for 2 hours to make up for that ice cream sundae you ate last night, you're going to hate exercise. Reaching your goal should feel rewarding, not exhausting. So make a pact with yourself to walk until it feels good.
Whether you want to lose weight, run marathons, or just feel your best, setting a few goals can make all the difference in your journey. It might be a long way from point A to point B, but you can help yourself bridge that distance more easily with a series of fun, rewarding, and motivational goals.
RealAge Workout -- Find fitness with walking and simple exercises
