How to set fitness goals

Inspired by the likes of our Aussie athletes shaping up for the Commonwealth Games? It’s enough to make you want to lap your local pool or walk up a storm. So why don’t you? Here’s how to shape up without shipping out.

1. DON’T OVER COMMIT
   “Be honest about your fitness level, age or injury constraints, how busy you are and whether you’re a day or night kind of person,” says Michelle Walsh, a psychologist from Victoria University, who specialises in exercise motivation. “If you’re not a morning person and have problems with arthritis, an 11am aqua-aerobics class will be more manageable than bounding out of bed at 5.30am for a 10km jog.”
   
2. SET SMALL GOALS
   Going in too hard too soon is the kiss of death to regular exercise. “I often suggest people start up or resume a regular routine with a simple activity like walking around the block,” says Walsh. “Setting small goals helps you feel spurred on by success.”
   
3. CHART YOUR PROGRESS
   Block out each exercise session in your diary and enjoy the satisfaction of ticking off that goal every day. Keep a logbook noting highlights and the length of each workout so that you can see how much you are improving.
   
4. SET NEW CHALLENGES
   No matter how fit you become, push yourself beyond your comfort zone. “Not so far that you hurt yourself or burn out,” says personal trainer Tamara Jones, “But far enough to keep improving, say by swimming a little longer or lifting more weight.”
   Review your workout every six weeks and if it feels like hard work, try something more enjoyable. 
   
5. KEEP YOUR BODY GUESSING
   Repetition can cause injury and drop-out due to boredom. To keep things fresh, mix up indoor sports with outdoor exercise, team sports with individual work, at-home training with training at the gym, and high intensity with low-impact exercise. 
   
6. FOCUS ON FUN
   Good strategies to make your workout more enjoyable include:
   - Exercising with a buddy
   - Taking up a team sport
   - Doing something with a feel-good factor, such as dancing
   
7. TALK THE TALK
   When it’s cold, think ‘this will warm me up’; when you’re tired, think ‘this will give me energy’; and when you’ve missed a session think ‘having a day off will make me fresh for the next work-out’. Every time you turn up to exercise, take a leaf out of Muhammed Ali’s book and tell yourself, “I am the greatest” – it will help you feel like you are.
   

Manchester Unity KeepFit benefits
If you take out private health cover with Manchester Unity, you will receive great benefits to help you get into shape. Their KeepFit benefit helps you to get fit and stay that way, by allowing you to claim for a range of approved weight-loss programs or other health programs such as Weight Watchers and gym memberships. (These programs must be advised by your doctor and make a genuine contribution towards preventing a health problem or reducing the effects of an existing health problem.) KeepFit is available to all members who combine a Hospital cover with an Extras cover.

 

Find out why Manchester Unity members stay members by calling 13 13 72 or visiting www.manchesterunity.com.au