There is a significant psychological aspect of participating in frequent physical activity. Finding the motivation to stick with an exercise regime on a regular basis isn’t always easy. Demanding schedules, illness etc., may interrupt your fitness routine. Without the use of skills such as goal setting, our chances of success are reduced.

The goal-setting process involves identifying what it is you want to accomplish, and then establishing a plan to make that happen. Setting goals, and regularly checking on progress, can be effective in increasing overall physical activity.

This process helps us prioritize the behaviors that will help us achieve our goals, and result in exercise becoming an integral part of our daily schedule.

Tricks

Set a goal related to exercise performance. It can be simply to jog 400m without pausing, for about 2 minutes, or complete 10 pushups without a break. It should be what is realistically possible to achieve in about 6-8 weeks.

Plan for what you’ll have to do regularly to achieve this goal – perhaps jog/walk 3 days a week at a brisk pace.

Check your progress every fortnight  and review/revise goals as needed.