GOAL!

We all know that goals help us get results.  What we don’t think about as often, perhaps, is how goals shape our fitness process.

Some of us work out as part of a general healthy life.  We want to get our 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise most days because we know that will help our bodies and minds remain strong and healthy even as we get older.  When this is our goal, we do not necessarily need to be going for the gold all the time.  We show up, we do our aerobic intervals, we make sure we are doing some weight bearing or weight training exercise, we stretch, and we’re good.

When injuries set us back, we focus on regaining our full abilities.  This is when we focus even more carefully on our form, patiently lift the temporarily lighter weights, put up with extra myofascial release and flexibility work.

Then there are the performance training times.  We find our weak spots and work them.  We push to go faster, harder, longer.  We figure out the small adjustments that make big differences.  We sweat and swear and feel the aches that come from growth.

Knowing what kind of goals we have in mind, we can plan effective workouts that meet our needs.  Mindful training is always better than mindless training.