Exercising outdoors with yoga in the park, Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio
As we’re starting the new year, a lot of us have set some new fitness goals. Maybe you’re looking to get back in shape, improve on a health plan you’ve already started, or just prevent those king cake calories from adding up. No matter your goals, exercising outdoors provides a ton of physical and mental health benefits.
Check out our previous blog posts for more info on the importance of exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic or to learn how spending time in nature improves your mental health.
Staying on track with fitness goals can be tough! According to Forbes, around half of Americans set a New Year’s Resolution at the turn of the year, and approximately 80% of those people give up on their resolutions by February. However, you don’t have to be in the 80% if you don’t want to be. Understanding why people quit and what you can do to stay on track with your fitness goals will help.
Why people give up on their fitness goals
Let’s take a look at why people don’t stay on track with their fitness goals so that you can develop better plans and fitness routines. Here are a few primary reasons why people give up on their fitness goals.
They didn’t plan the goal well initially.
They get too busy to keep up with the goal.
Their exercise routine gets boring and monotonous.
They do too much too fast and burn out.
They exercise improperly and develop an injury.
If you plan ahead and set yourself up for success, you’ll be able to stick with your goal and develop a fitness routine that fits your lifestyle. Remember that there’s no single “right” way to improve your health. If you’re steadily improving your physical and mental health, you’re doing it right!
5 Tips for staying on track with your fitness goals
Make a good plan
Be realistic about where you’re at with your current fitness level and what you want to achieve. Then, create a plan that will allow you to make steady progress. When you can, add some plans for exercising outdoors so that all of your workout routines aren’t confined to a gym or based on a virtual class. By making a realistic and thorough plan, you will improve the likelihood of staying on track with your fitness goals.
Utilize your downtime
Life gets hectic, and we don’t always have time to work out like we want to. Work gets busy, family time gets stressful, and life can generally just drain all of our energy. Remember that your workouts don’t have to be a big production. Take a look at your day-to-day life and see where you can make small changes to improve your fitness. Even little things like taking your dog on extra walks or cutting the grass with a push mower can make a difference. Finding simple ways to exercise outdoors will help improve your physical and mental health.
Spice up your exercise routine
There are a LOT of people who give up on their fitness goals because they really don’t enjoy their exercise routines. If you’ve committed to going to a gym every day but you don’t enjoy gym workouts, you’re more likely to stop when it gets tough. When you participate in activities that you enjoy, you’re more likely to stick with them. There are a ton of ways to exercise outdoors that are fun and don’t feel like a “workout.” Try some new activities to spice up your exercise routine and keep it from getting dull.
Start slow and build from there
When you set your new fitness goals, it’s tempting to jump into them wholeheartedly and do as much as possible to meet them. But remember: going too hard too fast typically leads to burnout. Lofty goals seem really appealing, but it’s super tough to meet them! By starting slow and building to something bigger, you’re more likely to stay on track with your fitness goals and see improvements.
Follow professional advice
Nothing can halt your fitness plans quite like an unexpected injury. If you’re just starting out in a new exercise routine, or you’re getting back into an activity that you haven’t done in years, follow professional advice for beginners. Too many people jump into new fitness activities without any advice and end up with an injury. It can feel disheartening to start at a beginner level or ask for help, but it’s totally worth it. Forming good habits initially and starting at the right pace for your current fitness level will help keep you injury-free.
If you are in the New Orleans area and you want to spice up your workout routine by exercising outdoors, contact us for more information about our outdoor adventures. We offer group canoeing and kayaking tours and have the only High Ropes Course in the New Orleans area. Whether you’re paddling, climbing, or just learning some new outdoor skills, we can help you have fun while staying on track with your fitness goals.
