In order to keep yourself motivated to stick with your active lifestyle, setting regular goals is important. By taking a look at what you’re currently working toward every so often, and making sure that those goals are still applicable to your situation today, you can ensure that you stay on track and get the results that you’re looking for.
If you don’t have a goal that you’re currently working towards, we have 10 ideas for you to consider.
1. Run your first full or half-marathon
If you’ve had a running program in place for a number of years, now might just be the time to step up your game and sign up for that half or full marathon that you’ve been thinking about for so many years. Having a clear goal for your training each day will give your workouts new meaning and ensure you stick with it for the long haul.
2. Run a 40-yard dash in five seconds
If long-distance running isn’t your thing, try and work towards improving your 40-yard dash sprint time. Aim to complete it in less than five seconds. That’s when you’ll know you’re in top-notch shape.
Sprint training will improve your cardiovascular performance better than endurance training, and is excellent for revving up your metabolism as well.
3. Perform 50 pushups
If you’re looking for a challenge outside of the gym, consider working toward doing 50 pushups without stopping. This is a fantastic upper-body exercise and core developer, and will boost your muscular endurance. If standard pushups are too easy, place your hands up on an exercise ball instead.
4. Reduce your waist size by two inches
Far too many men set their goals based on their body weight. Body weight doesn’t tell the whole story, though.
Instead, try to reduce your waist size by two inches. Your waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio are two of the most important health stats that you need to be aware of, as they’re directly linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
5. Participate in a triathlon
If you’re looking for a serious endurance-training challenge, consider participating in a triathlon. This is even great for men who want to get more variety out of their workouts, or suffer from joint pain and can’t perform the training associated with a marathon.
Whether you choose a mini or full triathlon, you can be sure it is a goal worth pursuing.
6. Go a week without eating any processed foods
Processed foods are partly to blame for today’s obesity rates. Not only are they contributing empty calories to your diet, but they’re also increasing your chances of developing insulin resistance. To combat this, make a goal to go a full week without eating any processed foods.
Cook all-natural meals and just watch how different you feel by week’s end.
7. Aim to consume a fruit or vegetable with every meal for a whole month
To really boost your fitness goals, make it a personal mission to consume a fruit or vegetable with each meal and snack you consume. Men are generally worse than women at getting their five to 10 fruit and veggie servings per day, so it’s time to change that.
8. Learn a new sport
Learning a new sport is another great way to get yourself motivated to keep up with your workouts and challenge your body in a way it hasn’t been before.
Try something different than all the other “mainstream” activities, like adventure sports such as rock climbing or kayaking. They’ll not only test your muscular strength and endurance, but your coordination and agility as well.
9. Perform five full single-leg standing squats
If there’s one exercise to really test your muscular ability, standing squats are it. Many men completely underestimate just how challenging this exercise can be, but if you want to develop powerful leg strength, add these to your home-workout program. They should be performed without weights, so are easy to do completely outside of the gym.
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Forgotten Exercises That Deliver Big Gains
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10. Decrease your body fat percent by 5 percent
Rather than focusing on the scale, focus on your body-fat percentage. That is the true marker of your overall health status.
Aim to decrease your body-fat by 5 percent, and you’ll look much leaner and greatly improve your overall health as well. Get a body-fat test taken and then determine how many pounds of fat you have to lose. Aim for 1-2 pounds per week and you can be guaranteed that the weight will stay off for good.
So, don’t ever let yourself become bored with your current training and diet regimen. By setting some goals that you feel passionate about, you can make sure that you stay on track to living a healthy lifestyle.
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