Movement

Achievable Fitness Goals For Working Women

Beginning the new year with the intention to be your best self physically and mentally is common. And as a working woman, when your fitness goals are based on how you want to appear rather than how you want to feel, you often end up not achieving them. The key is to create realistic fitness goals that you can fit into your busy life.

By URLife Team

02 Jan 2023

With the new year approaching, fitness goals are on top of everyone’s resolutions. It’s best to make goals that are beneficial for your health and that you can actually stick to. Working women also need to keep their priorities in mind and know why they are setting the fitness goals they are chasing.

Being honest with yourself is key when setting your fitness goals. Crafting a realistic plan with your capabilities in mind will make a difference. This is true for all of us, regardless of your current fitness level

Need all your wellness solutions in one place? A whole new world awaits just a click away.

How To Set Fitness Goals That You Can Actually Achieve

It's important to set realistic objectives that you can actually attain. This way, you can be held accountable, redefine your capabilities, and push through short-term challenges. However, it can be easy to get swept up in the excitement of New Year's resolutions and set unrealistic goals that are hard to follow through. Here's how you can set health goals that won't overwhelm you:

1. Consider Your Personal Health

It's crucial not to compromise your health and consult your physician before looking for general exercise recommendations. Depending on your health and other conditions, your doctor can suggest what type of exercises are good for your heart health and how many minutes you need to spend daily.

Related story: Pole Fitness 101

Also, remember that your incidental activities like climbing the stairs, cycling, or walking, when done with increased intensity, show similar benefits to a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) session, according to recent research. So, don't be discouraged that you couldn't show up to a heavy gym session; your increased steps are helping you achieve your goal.

2. Determine Your Fitness Intention Based On Your Current Life Role

Design a realistic fitness plan while considering what your current life season means for you. From pushing your little one around in a stroller to working out with the older kids or getting that gym membership you've been wanting, think about what your intentions are for this season.

Whatever you decide, try to find some clarity when it comes to your fitness needs. Do you want to stay at the same level or increase it? With that in mind, picking the right exercises and knowing how hard to push yourself is much easier.

3. Don't Emphasise The Reps or Kilometres, Instead Track The Minutes

Instead of aiming for miles or reps, try setting weekly goals in minutes. That’s easier to plan for. The exception will be if you keep track of the number of steps you take, as these can be done at any given time during the day. There are multiple benefits to planning in minutes. Firstly, it's more manageable to plan. Especially if you're just starting out or getting back into exercising after a break, your pace and time taken to complete a session can be inconsistent, making it hard to fit into a busy schedule and organise childcare if you need it.

Moreover, when you don't know how long something will take, it's a great excuse to skip a workout. Tracking the minutes ensures you don't let your clever excuses get in the way of a healthier, fitter, and stronger you.

Get instant access to personalised nutrition advice just for you. Sign up here.

Furthermore, minutes can be much more achievable than gruelling 20 push-ups or a 2-mile jog when you're feeling fatigued. Consistent effort is key to keeping fit, so even if it's just less intense exercise, every minute counts. Plus, minutes allow variations and mixing up your workouts can help you avoid injuries.

If you're looking for a way to challenge yourself and monitor your progress, why not set yourself a few mini-goals? Give yourself a certain number of reps to complete or a set amount of time to achieve something; it's a great way to stay motivated.

4. Go For More Realistic Exercises

Considering lifestyle, look into activities you enjoy and something you will be motivated to keep up with. For individuals with an experience in fitness, slowly build up your exercise routine. Aggressive intensity increase can lead to burnout and injury, so take one step at a time towards maximal fitness. Have high goals, and remember you can only get there slowly.

Furthermore, selecting various forms of physical exercise is an efficient way to safeguard overall well-being. To help your heart, lungs and aerobic abilities, go for workouts that get your blood pumping. Adding weight-bearing exercises strengthens your muscles. Stretching at the end helps with healing and maintaining flexibility.

5. Be Clear About The "Why" Part Of Your Fitness Goal

Visualise the 'why' behind your fitness goals. Why is it important to stay active and in shape? Is it for your health? To feel more confident in your body? Could it be for something more adventurous like marathon training or a fitness challenge? Whatever the motivation, keep it in your mind and work towards achieving that fitness goal.

Fitness Tips for Busy Working Women

Getting fit and staying healthy should be a priority for all, no matter what your gender, age and professions. There are few quick changes that you can make in your lifestyle to help you with your fitness goals. Remember, even a little bit counts and also keep in mind to have a holistic approach to fitness, exercise and nutrition are both at play here. So, here’s what you can start doing today:

Get a more active friend: Research says an active friend or colleague can be a huge motivating factor to get you started on your fitness journey. This same friend can be your workout buddy who keeps you accountable.
Ditch the elevator: This should be the fitness goal of 2023 for everyone. Taking the stairs is the easiest way to get in those steps and burn a few extra calories each day.
Walk away from the desk every hour: Stretching your legs and body every other hour after being in one position all day long is a great way to move your muscles and an excellent start for a working professional. Set a reminder on your gadget to help you achieve this.
Stretch at the desk: We get it; when you are engrossed due to an important deadline, it is difficult to get up from your desk and take a break. But you can just sit at your desk and do stretches like leg raises, neck stretches, or shoulder raises to free the tensed muscles.
Get a treadmill desk: This is yet another amazing alternative to mix business and fitness for people working from home and completely tied up with work and parent duties! The treadmill desk is a raging trend people are adopting these days. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
Do call meetings while walking: Virtual meetings have enabled individuals to take care of their health by doing other activities alongside, like home chores or walking. So, step away from that chair and get going during your calls.
Correct your sitting posture from time to time: It is not difficult to form a bad posture with a desk job. Constantly bending your neck to look at your laptop is the main culprit of bad posture. You can make it your fitness goal to correct your posture from time to time in your busy schedule.
Follow the 20-20-20 rule: After spending 20 minutes staring at the screen, look 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. A doctor-recommended strategy, this rule allows you to take a break from your computer screen to ease the strain on your eyes.
Build a healthy relationship with food: Lastly, accompanying physical fitness with internal health is crucial. One practical fitness goal for 2023 is creating a healthy relationship with food. That could mean ditching junk food or just avoiding constant calorie tracking to develop a healthy mindset towards your well-being.

Picking some time out of your busy schedule as a working woman or a working mom is challenging but essential for your well-being. You need to devote a few minutes of your day to exercising, and if that is not possible, make sure you choose to make healthier choices that will force you towards achieving your realistic fitness goals.

Remember when your focus shifts to what your body can do instead of how it looks, you can appreciate it more and give it what it needs to be healthy.

Better relationships, effortless conversations and stronger connections—find the key to your true potential. Sign up.