Monthly Archives: April 2024

Fitness

Unleash Your Potential: The Power of Goal Setting in Fitness

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Ready to start your journey? Yes, then goal setting is a straightforward yet crucial first step towards unlocking your full potential whether you’re an experienced athlete or just a beginner. This blog will explore the significant impact that goal setting can have on your fitness endeavours and look at how creating goals can help you succeed including igniting your motivation whilst developing your self-discipline and perseverance. So, are you ready to unleash your potential and embark on a journey to success? Great, let’s get started!

Why Does Goal Setting Matter in Fitness?

There are endless possibilities in the fitness world so setting clear and meaningful goals provides direction and motivation. They will guide you towards your aspirations, whether it’s running a marathon, losing weight or simply improving overall health. Here’s why goal setting is crucial:

  • Importance of direction and focus: Specific goals allow you to tailor training to reach your objectives, such as increasing strength or improving endurance. Research has shown that setting specific fitness goals can enhance performance.
  • Motivation and accountability: Goal setting can fuel your motivation, driving you forward even when you feel like giving up. So, share your goals with others on social media to increase your accountability and commitment.
  • Sense of accomplishment: Achieving your goals should boost your self-confidence and create a feeling of pride. Therefore, each milestone provides evidence of your progress and should be celebrated, no matter how small.

For instance, when I decided to run my first 10k race, setting a specific goal of running three times a week helped me steadily progress towards my target distance. Still not convinced that goal setting helps you reach your potential? Check out the video below to hear from the Olympians themselves!

SMART Goals

Goal setting in fitness can be complicated so using the SMART criteria provides an effective structured approach. Here’s what SMART stands for:

  • Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. For example, instead of a vague goal like “lose weight,” specify “exercise three days a week.”
  • Measurable: Establish key metrics to track progress. This could involve tracking your workouts, your daily food intake, or your weekly run mileage.
  • Attainable: Always make your goals realistic. If you consistently set overly ambitious goals, it can lead to disappointment which slows progress.
  • Relevant: Ensure your fitness goals align with your overall objectives and lifestyle. It is important to consider how achieving your goal contributes to your long-term well-being.
  • Timely: Set a clear timeline for your goal. For example, rather than aiming to “run a 10k someday,” specify “complete a 5k in three months” to help you stay on track.
Image credit: Pixabay

Crafting Your Action Plan

Developing an action plan is crucial for turning your fitness goals into reality. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Break it down: Divide your overarching goal into smaller steps. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon, break it down into weekly mileage targets.
  2. Schedule workouts: Set aside dedicated time for exercise in your weekly schedule. Treat this time as non-negotiable commitments so your fitness is prioritised.
  3. Track your progress: Use a fitness journal, app, or wearable device to monitor your workouts and progress towards your goals.
  4. Adjust as needed: Always be flexible and willing to adapt your action plan based on your progress and changing circumstances. It is okay to take a step back to go forwards!

By creating and using a detailed action plan, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your fitness goals. For guidance on the best free fitness apps to monitor your workouts, check out this helpful video:

Maintaining Motivation

Staying motivated on your fitness journey is crucial for long-term success. So, here are some tips to help you stay on track:

  1. Ask your friends: Exercising with a friend can make workouts more enjoyable whilst also holding you accountable. A study found that working out with a friend can promote greater weight loss in the short and long term than exercising alone.
  2. Celebrate Milestones: Recognise and reward your progress when you achieve a milestone or reach a goal such as a treating yourself to a new workout outfit.
  3. Keep it fun: Try to mix up your workouts to prevent boredom and stay engaged. Fun is different for everyone, so do what is right for you.
  4. Stay Positive: Maintain a positive attitude and remind yourself off the benefits of regular exercise such as increased energy, improved mood, and better overall health.

Looking for an extra dose of inspiration? Check out this video to hear some of the best motivational quotes from famous athletes:

Overcoming Challenges

Whilst achieving your fitness goals, you are likely to encounter challenges that can slow your progress. There are common hurdles that many encounter on their fitness journey including a lack of time and changing motivation levels. However, these obstacles can be overcome with the right strategies:

  • Time management: Prioritise your workouts and schedule them into your daily routines.
  • Finding Motivation: Seek sources of motivation through friends or motivational quotes from athletes to maintain the drive to exercise.
  • Access to resources: If you’re facing issues such as financial constraints or having limited access to equipment, try to remain resilient and creative when finding solutions.

For inspiration, watch this video of Michael Jordan triumphing over setbacks in his career:

Goal Refinement and Progression

As you progress on your fitness journey, it’s essential to periodically review and refine your goals. This simple process allows you to adjust your objectives based on your changing capabilities. So, here’s how to effectively refine and progress your goals:

  1. Reflect on your progress: Take time to evaluate your current achievements to assess whether your goals are still appropriate.
  2. Adjust as needed: If you’ve surpassed a goal or it no longer challenges you, consider setting new, more ambitious objectives to keep yourself motivated and improving.
  3. Focus on sustainability: Always aim for balance in your fitness endeavours and ensure that your goals promote long-term health and wellbeing rather than just short-term results.
  4. Seek new challenges: Embrace opportunities to explore different fitness activities or training methods to prevent boredom and continue growing both physically and mentally.

By regularly refining and progressing your fitness goals, you can be constantly improving and maintain your enthusiasm on your journey towards optimal health and performance.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Wrapping it Up

Congratulations on taking the first steps toward achieving your fitness goals! Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. We’d love to hear about your progress and experiences, so feel free to share your feedback and and additional tips you may have. Together, we can strive for greatness!

 

Fitness

Fitness Made Easy! Your Step By Step Guide To Crafting The Perfect Workout Program

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Welcome to Fitness Made Easy. This blog will quickly become your go-to resource on your fitness journey. Finding time to keep fit can feel like a workout in itself, from busy work schedules to family commitments, it’s easy to overlook the importance of keeping fit. But, what if I told you I could give you a step by step plan which makes keeping fit easy? And yes, you did read that right!

The guide you’re about to read is the structure I personally followed to achieve my goal of building muscle and losing fat. Fitness can be made easier than ever with a simple, 8 step guide on crafting your very own plan to keeping or getting fit, no matter what your circumstances might be. Whether you’re a frequent gym goer or a complete beginner, this step by step guide will provide you with everything you need to achieve your fitness goals within a realistic time frame, you can set! As Jim Rohn said “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

This is how it works:

  • Step 1: Defining Your Goals
  • Step 2: Your Current Fitness Abilities
  • Step 3: What’s your favourite activity?
  • Step 4: Design Your Schedule
  • Step 5: Let’s Structure Your Workout
  • Step 6: Milestones
  • Step 7: Trust The Process
  • Step 8: Celebrating Your Success

photo by everyday health

Step 1: Defining Your Goals

Arguably the most critical step, what are your goals and what do you want to achieve? Are you aiming to gain weight, lose weight or build muscle? This is the step where you decide what your reason for starting on this journey is. Don’t forget, don’t just set any goals, your goals must be smart, measurable, achievable, relevant and have a realistic time span. (SMART)

Step 2: Your Current Fitness Abilities

So you’ve finished setting your goals, it’s time to test yourself and find your current fitness abilities. Use this step to test yourself, test your cardiovascular endurance, your strength and your recovery. There are many ways to do this:

  • Record your time for a 3 Kilometre run
  • Test your strength abilities at home or in the gym
  • After your gym session record how you feel each day after the session

This step will allow you to see the real benefits fitness can bring to your body and mind.

photo by medium

Step 3: What’s Your Favourite Activity?

One of the keys to sticking to your workout plan is choosing activities you actually enjoy! Whether it’s running, swimming, weightlifting or cycling, if you enjoy it then you should include this in your plan. If you enjoy the fitness activity then you’re more likely to stick to the plan. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new forms of exercise until you find something you truly enjoy.

Step 4: Design Your Schedule

This is the step where you get to customise a fitness schedule to fit your busy life. Take into account your goals and the activities you enjoy most and design a day by day workout schedule. Consistency is a vital factor to achieving your fitness goals so make sure your schedule is realistic, taking into account your other commitments. Whether you prefer early mornings or late nights, design your schedule entirely how you want it.

photo by decathlon

Step 5: Let’s Structure Your Workout

So you have a schedule you’re happy with, it’s time to structure your workouts based on your goals and workout schedule. A well rounded fitness workout includes areas of strength training, cardiovascular exercise and a chance for your body to recover. Remember to mix up your workouts to give each muscle group a chance to recover before training again. You should aim for at least a day of recovery per muscle group between sessions.

Step 6: Milestones

Setting realistic milestones is an essential part of your fitness journey to track your progress. Break it down into long term and short term goals which you can celebrate achieving along the way. Short term goals can include cycling a certain distance in a time lower than you recorded in Step 2, or lifting a heavier weight. Longer term milestones could include a lifelong goal such as running a marathon or completing an Iron man. It is important to celebrate each milestone you achieve!

photo by freepik

Step 7: Trust The Process

One of the key characteristics to staying consistent is accountability. Staying accountable can be achieved independently or with a workout partner. Embarking on a fitness journey with a friend is a great way to make sure you both stay accountable. Be prepared to make adjustments to your plan as you get deeper into the journey, you’ll realise excises and activities which you don’t enjoy, don’t be afraid to adjust your fitness plan. After all, if you enjoy your plan, you’re much more likely to remain consistent.

Step 8: Celebrating Your Success

Congratulations, you’ve started on your fitness journey and it’s time to celebrate your success. Don’t be afraid to celebrate your success, every step closer to your fitness goals should be celebrated. Find something you enjoy whether it’s a post workout snack or a meal in a nice restaurant, and use this to celebrate your fantastic accomplishments.

Workout Out At Home

Did you know only 2% of the world’s population attends a gym? The Covid pandemic brought us a new way of workouts which didn’t include the gym! So you might think, home workout? Sounds easy? Think again! Incorporating home workouts into your own fitness plan is a great way to stay consistent during a busy schedule. Youtube is a great source of guided workout videos, from pilates to bodyweight classes, there is a video for everyone, no matter what your individual goals might be.

So if you’re looking to squeeze in a workout on the busiest of days, consider a quick home workout, to help maintain consistency in your fitness journey.

Now It’s Your Turn

So that’s it! You now have everything you need to structure your own fitness plan and begin that journey to achieving your goals. So it’s time to put on your favourite workout outfit and your comfiest trainers. Start your journey to a healthier you!

Start Your Fitness Journey Today

We’d love to hear your feedback – review@fitnessmade.com

Fashion

Unveiling the True Cost of Fast Fashion – Environmental Impacts and Sustainable Alternatives

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In the age of fast fashion, where trends come and go at the speed of light, and influencer culture is the strongest it has ever been, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of inexpensive clothing options offered by companies like Shein, H & M, primark and Zara. However, beneath the surface of their trendy façades lies a darker truth: the environmental toll of fast fashion.

In this blog post, I delve into the unsustainable practices of the fast fashion industry and how influencer culture is encouraging the overconsumption of fast fashion. Furthermore, I will explore alternative brands you should consider that prioritise sustainability without compromising style.

The Truth Behind Fast Fashion:

Credit: Francois Le Nguyen, Unsplash

Overconsumption and Waste:

Fast fashion brands thrive on the principle of producing clothing quickly and inexpensively, leading to a culture of overconsumption. Consumers are encouraged to constantly purchase new items to keep up with fleeting trends, resulting in massive amounts of clothing ending up in landfills.

With their low prices and endless array of styles, Shein and primark have become favourites among fashion-forward consumers worldwide and I too have fallen victim in the past to its allure blindly contributing to the waste.

Credit: Perytskyy, Unsplash

Pollution and Resource Depletion:

The production of fast fashion uses extensive amounts of natural resources such as raw materials, energy and water. Additionally, the reliance on synthetic fibres like polyester contributes to pollution during manufacturing processes. Chemical dyes and treatments further contaminate waterways, harming ecosystems and communities near production facilities. Furthermore, the transportation of clothing from factories to global markets adds to carbon emissions and air pollution.

Credit: Rio Lecatompessy, Unsplash

Ethical Concerns: 

The relentless drive for low costs in fast fashion frequently results in the compromise of ethical labor standards. Workers in garment factories, especially in developing countries, suffer low wages, unsafe working conditions, and exploitation. The demand to fulfil strict deadlines and production targets worsens these problems, leading to human rights abuses and inadequate livelihoods for garment workers.

For more information, here’s a video explaining the impacts of fast-fashion on our planet:

Source: YouTube, The Planet Voice

Facts that have not been made to scare you..but should

  • Over 80 billion new pieces of clothing are bought each year worldwide.
  • 85% of discarded clothing ends up in landfills.
  • Textiles account for almost 35% of the global microplastic pollution.
  • 40 million people work in fast fashion worldwide.
  • 92 million metric tones of textiles waste is produced each year.
  • 93% of brands surveyed by the Fashion Checker aren’t paying garment workers a living wage.

 

Credit: MTStock Studio, Unsplash

Breaking the Haul: how influencer culture is supporting the dark side of fashion

Influencer culture has revolutionised the way we consume and perceive fashion, with social media influencers wielding significant influence over consumer behaviour. One prominent trend within influencer culture is the promotion of fast fashion hauls, where influencers showcase their latest purchases from brands like Shein, H&M, and Zara. While these hauls may seem harmless and even aspirational on the surface, they often have detrimental effects on both individuals and the environment.

  • Videos tagged with #haul on TikTok have been viewed more than 49 billion times as of 2023 and this continues to increase every minute.

The promotion of fast fashion hauls perpetuates a culture of overconsumption and disposability. Influencers, often incentivised by brand partnerships and affiliate programs, encourage their followers to constantly purchase new clothing items to stay on-trend. This relentless cycle of consumption not only strains individuals’ finances but also contributes to the growing problem of textile waste, as garments are discarded after being worn a couple times.

By glamorising these brands through haul videos, influencers inadvertently endorse and normalise these harmful practices, further rooting the fast fashion model in our society.

In conclusion, influencer culture promoting fast fashion hauls perpetuates a damaging cycle of overconsumption, disposability, and exploitation. It’s crucial for influencers and consumers alike to recognise the negative impact of these hauls and instead advocate for more sustainable and ethical fashion choices.

Do Social Media Influencers actually affect consumers? 

Source: YouTube, Vox Pops International

 

Credit: Gorica Poturak, Unsplash

Sustainable Fashion Alternatives:

Fortunately for you, we are not all doomed just yet! There is a growing movement towards sustainable fashion, with brands that prioritise ethical production practices and environmental responsibility.

Read here why shopping sustainably matters

Here are some sustainable alternatives that have been specially selected by me:

1. Lucy & Yak:

Source: Lucy & Yak Website

 Lucy & Yak is a UK-based brand known for its colourful and quirky clothing made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled fabrics. Despite its eco-friendly focus, Lucy & Yak offers affordable options, including their signature dungarees and playful tops, making sustainable fashion accessible to all.

Shop here!

 

2. Reformation:

Source: Reformation website

Reformation is a fashion label that focuses on sustainable materials and ethical production. Their clothing is made from eco-friendly fabrics like TENCEL lyocell, recycled cotton, and dead-stock fabrics. Reformation also priorities supply chain transparency, so consumers can trace the journey of their garments from raw materials to finished products.

Shop here!

  

3. TALA:

Source: TALA website

 TALA is a sustainable activewear brand that emphasizes inclusivity, affordability, and sustainability. Their stylish and functional workout gear is made from recycled materials and produced in ethical factories. TALA’s commitment to affordability ensures that eco-conscious activewear is accessible to everyone, without compromising on quality or style.

Shop here! 

6. Vinted

Source: Vinted website

Finally, if you are looking for affordable second-hand clothing Vinted is a great online marketplace where individuals can buy, sell and swap their clothing, shoes, accessories and other items. Not only does it provide a platform for users to declutter their wardrobe, it also contributes to sustainable fashion practices.

Shop here!

Conclusion:

While Shein, Primark, H & M and similar brands, may offer cheap and trendy clothing options, its fast fashion model comes at a significant environmental cost. From overconsumption and waste to environmental pollution, their practices contribute to the degradation of our planet.

However, by using our suggested list and supporting sustainable fashion brands that prioritise ethical production and environmental responsibility, you can make a positive impact and promote a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Let’s choose quality over quantity, and style with a conscience.

Here’s a 7 minute video unveiling the lies that sell fast-fashion:

Source: YouTube, Vox

Do you really want to make a difference?

Click here to sign a petition that is working against the fast fashion industry, encouraging consumers to rethink the clothes on their backs and pledge to stop fast fashion.