Physical fitness and health go hand-in-hand, which is why fitness goals are often the focal point of New Years' resolutions. Of course, it's become a cliche that New Years' resolutions are doomed to fail — but you can buck the trend! Finding success with your fitness goals is possible through smart planning and realistic expectations. This article will help you understand how to set realistic fitness goals and provide some smart fitness goal examples along the way.

Differentiate Between Long-Term and Short-Term Goals

Setting separate short-term and long-term goals will motivate you at the moment while helping you see your journey in perspective. Long-term and short-term goals can work together to give you a greater sense of completion.

Aiming to lose 50 pounds is a great long-term goal, but you need to set short-term goals to help you see it through. Short-term goals can be benchmarks, like losing one or two pounds a week or shaving a few seconds off of your 5K time each month. Try to get 1% better each day.

Develop Measurable Goals With a Plan to Meet Them

You should pair any fitness goal with a metric that gauges your success. Measurable short-term goals can keep you on track to reach measurable long-term goals.

You'll see even better results with a plan to reach each goal. If you want to lose a couple of pounds a week, create an exercise and diet plan that will help you do it. A plan can include the number of days in a week you exercise, the types of activities you do, the number of hours you spend working out, and more. Remember that you can always adjust your plan as you go.

Reward Yourself for Your Success

As much as fitness is about living a healthy life, it's also about having fun! Determine ways you can reward yourself for reaching benchmarks and getting closer to your long-term goals. Whether it's a day to rest, a tasty snack, or a trip to the outlets for retail therapy, a reward can make any goal more achievable.

Further Your Fitness Goals at Spooky Nook Sports

Sometimes the right place and people can make your fitness goals all the more achievable. Start out right with a membership at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, Pennsylvania. As the nation's largest indoor sports facility, we have all the resources you need to meet and exceed your goals. We invite you to learn more about Spooky Nook memberships online.