VIDEO New Year fitness goals HAVE to be within reach

In the second in a series of columns, Goodwood Health Club personal trainer Simon Webster takes you to the next stage of your fitness journey …
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Last time we touched on the importance of making correct goals and preparing in advance. We looked at making SMART goals (S-pecific M-easureable A-chievable R-ealistic T- ime) to help achieve your objectives.

Now you need to examine whether the goals you set are realistic for your lifestyle. If not, you’re going to set yourself up to fail – for example, if your goal is to run a 10k, a half marathon or marathon and you have never run before.

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The first thing to address is – are you moving correctly? It is a bit like taking your car for an MoT.

Having targets you can reach is essential as you embark on your route to fitnessHaving targets you can reach is essential as you embark on your route to fitness
Having targets you can reach is essential as you embark on your route to fitness

If humans were as easy as a car, then you could remove a part and fix a new one, which would mean you are okay.

However, there are other factors to examine, such as your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. If you think about the environment and the stresses you have, it might be work or home, all the stress is going into this one funnel and it is important to consider when you come to approach exercise.

If you are highly stressed, it puts your body in a physical and mental stress state, which can also affect your sleep and rest. The other side to evaluate is: are you fuelling your body correctly with the right foods and are you hydrated?

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Remember we all have a different make-up and our bodies are all different, which is why when looking at exercise I believe you need to have a bespoke programme for you.

If you have a lifestyle that means you are seated for a long period of time and your goal is to take up running and you decide to go for a long run, you need to address the mechanical issues first or you may find it could lead to injuries. So now you have set these goals, are they realistic and can you embed them into your daily routine?

If it is running seek some professional guidance just to check before you start. At the Goodwood Health Club we offer a movement assessment to see if you are moving well and we can provide good content to help you meet your goal.

Let’s think more about your movement. Are you seated for long periods of time, either at the office or driving? Start to think about incorporating more movement into your lifestyle which will make you more efficient in your goal.

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Also, take a look at your sleep to check you are getting enough of it, your nutrition levels and whether you have a lot of stress that you can alleviate.

As they are big subjects, I will look at them over the coming weeks and provide more advice.

Fully prepare yourself and address all these issues and finally before you go for a run, consider if you are running efficiently. People tend to do a lot of heel striking and don’t have a lot of movement through the legs – and this can cause injury further down the line.

If you are new to running, start by walking correctly, then maybe add a jog and increase your distance gradually.

Check out my mobility and core exercise videos at chichester.co.uk to get you started working on your posture.

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