Setting Realistic Fitness Goals

Whether you want to increase your endurance or lose weight, it is important to custom tailor your workout to meet your goals. Seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it? However, almost everyone who begins a fitness program finds their excitement and enthusiasm dwindling faster than they can say "Yes, actually, I would like to supersize that." If this sounds like you, stop blaming yourself. Instead, take a look at your goals to make sure that, a) they're realistic, and b) you know exactly how to achieve them.

Common Fitness Goals
Failing to stick to your goal time after time might mean that your goal was bound not to stick in the first place. Either that or you haven't figured out how to reach it .

Losing Fat

Fat Loss occurs when you burn more calories than you eat. If you can burn an extra 500 calories per day, you will lose about a pound a week. You can't choose where you lose fat --Spot training doesn't work.

Gaining Muscle

Muscle gain occurs when you eat more calories than you burn coupled with heavy strength training. If you lift weights, you can build a little muscle but if you want to put on some serious size, that requires serious work and commitment.

Increasing mood level

Researchers found that an hour of aerobics reduced tension, anger and fatigue among their study participants, with the benefit being significantly greater among those who felt depressed before the exercise bout.

A number of studies have shown that exercise can lift a person's spirits, and there is even evidence that physical activity can aid in treating clinical depression. One study focused on "depressed mood," rather than clinical depression.