It’s that time again….swap the sunbed and Pina Colada for the exhilaration of getting on the road to health with fitness goals

THE SUMMER months are coming to a close, and after all those lazy days by the pool, the strain on the waistband of your favourite pair of trousers is telling you something. The days of following Big Brother from the sofa have left you feeling lifeless, and the extra tummy hanging over your jeans tells you it’s time to take action. So where do you start?

Is it in the gym or working out at home? How much fat do you want to lose and in what timeframe? And will the method you choose achieve your goals? In my experience of working in the fitness industry, people rarely ask themselves these questions. They plod along on treadmills, roads or swimming pools in an effort to achieve something — fitness, fat loss, muscle gain — but they have no means of measuring their progress.

The definition of fitness or muscle gain is unique to you and may not be the same as to another. Our expectations are all different. So, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you ever know when you get there? After all, an expert sharpshooter wearing a blindfold can’t hit a target they can’t see. Clearly defined priorities and goals will serve a ‘lighthouse’role, offering you guidance and refuge when the seas become rough.

Business people in their working lives have specified targets for sales, but they rarely apply the same principles to their fitness levels You are always judged by your results. So goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. But how do you go about setting your goals?

Follow these five steps to achieve your goals in the gym — be it fitness or fat loss — or even in your business life.

• Have a clear vision of the outcome you want to achieve.

• Create positive pressure to keep you inspired. This is known as the public pledge. Tell all your friends and colleagues about the goal you want to achieve. People accomplish the best results, and work and study gets priority when their back’s are against the wall.

• Never set a goal without attaching a timeline to it. Goals should be written down — if they’re not, then they’re nothing but a wish.

• The Magic Rule of 21. It takes 21 days of performing a habit in a row to crystallise a new behaviour into a habit. If your goal is fat loss, it is best to perform your training at the same time at each training session — and to keep it up.

• Enjoy the process. Every experience offers lessons, so learn from these and progress.

It is important that you recognise that passion will help you follow your mission and attain your goals. The Japanese follow what is known as the Kaizen principle — small improvements every day — and all these small steps lead to constant improvement.  The purpose of life is to have a life of purpose. So make it one of your aims to be full of health, energy and vitality.