6 Fitness Goals That Have Nothing To Do With Weight Loss
It’s about time that we stop preserving the myth that the main point of exercise is to lose weight. Plenty of us work out for other reasons. We’re talking motivation like having more energy, sleeping better, and rocking killer quads.
We totally understand that at times it can feel as though there’s a lot of pressure to look a certain way, so it could be easy to focus your attention solely on losing weight. But the truth is, weight loss - even if it is a fitness goal of yours - is simply not the best motivator out there.
Striving to achieve goals that challenge you mentally and leave you feeling like you’ve properly achieved something will have long-lasting benefits, in all aspects of your health - and quite frankly, that sounds a lot more appealing to us.
We share six motivating fitness goals that have absolutely nothing to do with the way you look, and everything to do with how you feel. Happy sweating!
1. IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY & MOBILITY
It’s something we tend to neglect, but improving your mobility is one of the most important areas of fitness to help prevent injuries and optimise your training. Not to mention, stretching is a great stress-reliever (sign us up!)
Flexibility and mobility are two different things. Flexibility allows you to lengthen a muscle (think trying to touch your toes), while mobility is what allows you to move in different ways (think your squat depth).
To improve your mobility and flexibility, add 10 minutes of stretching prior to your workout. It doesn’t need to be a full-on yoga routine, but make sure you’re including both dynamic and static movements, such as arm circles, lying back twists and deep squats and lunges. The key thing to remember is to move slowly and with control. Aim to gradually increase your range of movement, as well as the time you spend practising mobility and stretching, to really get the most out of it.
2. BUILD YOUR STRENGTH
You’ll look at the premise of gaining weight in a whole new way when you’re measuring it in plates added - and the best part? Strength training can be a game-changer mentally, too.
Nothing else matters when you’re lifting weights, as all your attention is focused on that, so it can be a great escape from stress. It’s also incredibly empowering, you feel on top of the world after lifting something you previously thought you couldn’t.
The benefits go deeper than that, too - you’ll also improve your posture, future-proof your body, strengthen your bones, boost your confidence and have more energy.
READ MORE: Everything You Need To Know About Building Muscle
3. NAIL YOUR FORM
Learning the correct movement patterns for each exercise is vital for progression in the gym, and your body will thank you for it once those weights start to get a little heavier.
If your form is off, you’re probably not hitting your muscles effectively, and you’re increasing the risk of injury, which ultimately means less time in the gym, working towards your fitness goals.
If you’re a fan of the squat rack, there are three very simple cues you need to always be thinking: chest up, hips back, and knees out. Before adding any weight, go through the motion first to dial in your technique and avoid risking injury.
READ MORE: The Principles Of Good Form With Caroline Gravity
4. PLAY WITH YOUR RUN TIMES OR DISTANCE
Pick a metric - time or distance - that is measurable and attainable for you, and work your way up to it. If you’re new to running, that might mean starting with brisk walking and short bouts of running that get increasingly longer as your body adjusts to the demands. If you’re working up your speed, you’ll need to do intervals of harder running with easy recovery.
See if you can aim to beat your 5k time every five to six weeks by 20 to 40 seconds each time. While it may not seem a lot, 40 seconds off a best effort run is a huge achievement! If focussing on timing feels like too much pressure - or even just plain boring - you could also experiment with pushing yourself out of your comfort zone by running a longer distance each time.
5. TRY SOMETHING NEW
If chugging along on the StairMaster is making your eyes glaze over, it’s time to try something new.
Most gym memberships include full access to gym classes, so make sure you take full advantage of these! You might already be a keen 6am spin-goer, but why not try something else like boxercise, HIIT or bodytone?
Equally, if the gym isn’t for you, full stop, there’s plenty of other opportunities to get your body moving. Take martial arts classes and work toward your first belt. Sign up for a dance class. Try swimming lessons and log laps. Pick up a jump rope and teach yourself to hop it consistently. The bottom line? Find something that makes movement fun for you, so you’ll actually look forward to doing it.
6. FALL IN LOVE WITH FITNESS
We truly believe that non-aesthetic goals have the potential to be more rewarding and longer-lasting than purely aesthetic focused ones. In other words, focus less on trying to fit in that dress and more on developing a positive relationship with fitness instead.
Fitness is about so much more than what you weigh or what you eat, it has an emotional side too. Ask yourself if you enjoy the fitness classes you attend, or whether you’re just attending them for the ‘results’? If you don’t enjoy your classes, then why on earth are you going to them? There’s an exercise or sport for everyone, you just have to search for it.
Check out our eight favourite alternative workouts to the gym here.
Fitness can be a right old journey, can’t it? And one way to ensure you keep yourself motivated and moving forward is to set yourself realistic goals. But as we’ve proved, these goals don’t always have to be weight related.
Whether you want to smash a new PB, learn a new skill or simply improve your relationship with fitness, get after your gym goals your way.