How To Jump The 6 Biggest Hurdles Of New Fitness Goals

Beginning a fitness journey is pretty easy: You invest in some workout gear, you sign up for a program or a gym, you do a workout or two. Continuing on that path is the tricky bit—but the good news is there are plenty of strategies to help you succeed.

Lifting the heaviest weights after a week in the gym? Completely changing the way your body looks? Setting unrealistic and unhealthy goals like this will only set you up to fail. Why? Because when you don't hit the impossible target, you're more likely to feel defeated and give up.

Whether it's an Insta post or another gym-goer, comparison is a surefire way to feel insecure and discouraged. Pretty soon you're asking yourself, "Why should I bother?"

How to jump it: It's unrealistic and unhealthy to compare yourself to anyone. I've fallen into the comparison trap, too! After I had my first baby, I wondered why so many other fitness professionals "snapped back" fast and I didn't. I felt like an impostor because I didn't look "fit." With my second child, I knew better than to beat myself up. Now I focus on my own journey and don't get distracted by others.⁣

The burst of motivation that kick-starts your fitness journey is a great thing—but what got you out of bed yesterday may not work tomorrow. Eventually, motivation wears off and may not feel like pursuing your goal. This is the point many people give up.

How to jump it: Every single day you have to get up and decide what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, and what to put on your to-do list. Fitness isn't so different. You're just making a decision to be healthier and happier! Motivation will come and go, discipline and building a habit are what will get you to your goals.

"I don't have time to work out"—as a trainer and fitness expert, I hear this a lot. Some people may truthfully be too busy to find 30 minutes a day to release stress and boost their mood with exercise. But that's not the case for most of us.

I know you're comfy under the covers there, but treating exercise like a chore will make your habit unsustainable. Of course, you won't leap into every single workout with a smile, but if you are dreading it and hating every second, you're setting yourself up to fail.

How to jump it: To change your attitude toward exercise, you need to create a routine that fits with your life. Don't overdo it. Take your rest days. Use modifications where needed—workouts should be tough but not something to be feared.

Also, aim to find a fitness method that you truly enjoy—the best type of workout is one you'll do consistently. Experimenting with different environments can help, too. Create a workout space at home that you're completely comfortable with. If home is chaotic, maybe you'll be more focused at the park.

When you're new to exercise, it can feel like learning a new language. (When everyone is talking about quads, delts, and obliques, it practically is!) Some people aren't as open to learning something new and switch off when they're not great at it straight away. Others get embarrassed and give up.

How to jump it: Trust me, we've all had moments of looking like a baby giraffe learning to walk in the gym. Laugh it off and try again! It's OK not to be great in the beginning: to lose balance, to be too out of breath to finish a round, to groan every time you sit down the next day. But every "fail" is a chance to learn, and learning equals growth!