Once you become accustomed to working out, you’ll reach a point when it’s time to challenge yourself. Whether you’re a dedicated runner or heavily invested in strength training, when it’s time to amplify the intensity, you might not know where to begin. You might be wondering: How can I challenge myself without overexerting myself? Here we break down four ways to safely challenge yourself and achieve your fitness goals.
1. Start with Small Goals
If you’re running, increase your speed or your mileage in small increments. If you’ve consistently been running five miles a day, you might consider a goal of running eight miles over two months. To achieve this goal, allow your body to adjust to the added distance by running your usual five miles and walking the added three. Once this becomes normal to you, substitute walking one mile for running. Gradually work your way up to running the additional three miles. Before you know it, eight miles will be a breeze. For strength training, you want to begin with your body weight. See how many push-ups you can do comfortably without fatiguing.
Increase the number of push-ups you can do at a time by practicing regularly. Once a set of twenty or more push-ups feels easy to you, it’s time to consider adding additional weight. You can begin alternating the amount of weight you use in reps, gradually increasing the weight and number of reps between sets.
2. Exercise in Ideal Weather
You can challenge yourself with better results if you exercise in ideal weather conditions. If you work out when it’s scorching, you’re going to have a harder time pushing yourself against the heat. If it’s too cold, you might find it harder to breathe. Additionally, be aware of what you’re wearing when you exercise.
Double-up if it’s cold out and wear loose-fitting layers when it’s hot. You can also wear compression pants for running in poor weather conditions. The clothing you wear will affect how much you sweat, and the weather outside will determine how easy it is for you to breathe. When you push yourself, you want weather conditions to be favorable.
3. Change your Diet
Some people swear by carbs before a long run, whereas others prefer to go on an empty stomach. Lifters often endorse the Paleo lifestyle, but others prefer keto. When you’re challenging your fitness goals, it’s essential to consider your diet. The food that you eat, the times you eat, and how easily your body processes your food will influence how well you can work out and challenge your fitness level. Research different diets and eating routines that may be beneficial to your specific fitness goals. Be willing to try new things so that you can genuinely train like the athlete you aspire to be.
4. Establish your Reward
Reaching your fitness goals is about your ability to commit to change. Having a reward for yourself for when you achieve your next fitness goal will make it easier to stay motivated when working out feels difficult. Keep a picture of this reward nearby whenever you’re feeling discouraged. The reminder of what’s waiting for you will help provide you with the motivation you need to continue. This reward can also be set up like a goal. If you have an event that you’re going to, you might make the goal of reaching your fitness goals by that day. Dreaming about how good you’ll feel on the day of the event will help motivate you to continue as well.
Challenging your fitness goals is all about making yourself more comfortable with change. You want to find ways to encourage both your physical body and your mentality to adjust to these changes so that you can achieve the victory that you’re after. Use these ideas to keep you going, and you’ll reach your goals in no time at all.