With the new year comes new love handles! That's right; indeed, many of us have indulged ourselves during the holiday festivities. 

But don't take us the wrong way! Additional pounds shouldn't be the only reason to pursue physical fitness goals. Being healthy is a lifestyle that everyone should strive for. Moreover, there are plenty of reasons why you should pursue your fitness goals this year, especially if you’ve been putting them off for a long time.

Set your heart to it

If you think getting fit sounds daunting, start slow. Work at your own pace while adding more minutes every day. The main objective is to GET USED TO A MINDSET because the initial excitement of getting fit won’t last all year long. You’ll probably get tired of following your early routine before the month’s over. 

You need to love the idea that you’ll be dedicating an hour (or two) of your day to concentrating on your performance. It’s going to be rough, especially if you have a job that expects over 8 hours from you. But once the idea of skipping a week’s worth of routines becomes unthinkable, that’s when you’ve achieved your first of many fitness goals: LOVING THE PAIN

Choose your fitness goal

Knowing what your fitness goal is should be your next priority. Some people want to improve their entire body; others want to take it slow before exhausting exercise routines in the middle of the hour-long session. For the sake of simplicity, go with a list of fitness goals the average joe can achieve:

Flexibility, Balance, and Cores

Becoming one with your body can be an enlightening experience if you have the aptitude for it. You can start by doing some long stretches before moving on to either complicated yoga poses or strenuous core exercises, like crunches and planking. 

The main goal here is to become one with your body and push your adaptability to its limit. This will help avoid cramps and muscle tension from happening in the future. If you’ve been getting cramps from simple stretching, you might want to focus on improving the three goals listed above.

Strength and Pain Resistance

No, we’re not suggesting you take on the Arnold Schwarzenegger bodybuilding route. Push-ups and sit-ups are a great way of getting your body to strengthen itself casually, especially if your day job consists of staring at a monitor for eight-eleven hours a day.

The more you get used to these kinds of exercises, the better you’ll feel for years to come. Remember, it’s not about becoming super strong. It’s about going against an idle lifestyle by giving your arms and abdomen a challenge every day.

Cardio and Concentration

From jogging to biking, cardio has always been a favorite among the fitness community. The best benefits you can get from doing cardio workouts are improving your physical and mental health. The more you move, the more oxygen is pumped into your brain, which is why many heavy thinkers go for long walks to ruminate on ideas.

Also, keep in mind that using the right apparel for workouts makes a lot of difference, like exercising at home barefoot versus exercising with decent shoes. Check out Sports Central online and find collections of quality sports apparel for you. 

Set a personal schedule for a personal mission

While the local gym is usually the best place for doing your fitness routines, working out from the comfort of your own home (or garage) is better. You can create a schedule based on your availability rather than the gym. 

You don’t need fancy equipment to get fit and healthy. As for time, it doesn’t matter when you work out. Some prefer doing so before sunrise, while others prefer after work hours. The bottom line is you allot your most convenient time for exercise.

There are plenty of opportunities out there for all of us to get healthier. It’s a matter of time and effort, and while some people don’t even have either, it’s still an endeavor worth undertaking. And of course, don’t forget to enjoy and have fun living an active lifestyle.