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ASK OUR EXPERTSYour Wellbeing“ Don’t risk losing momentum because your ” fitness goal is too ambitious. There’s a knackto setting fitness goals. It’s as much about your physical ability as your mental expectations.For instance, setting an overly ambitious fitness goal can only leave you feeling frustrated because it just takes too much hard work to strive for. Instead, be honest with yourself about what’s really achievable. And then, break down your main fitness goal and celebrate smaller targets reached along the way.If you want to lose 20kg, that’s great, but you should also set a 5kg target to celebrate sooner, and then reassess your bigger goal. Here are some more vital tips for setting realistic fitness goals.1. KEEP IT PERSONALFirst things first, fitness goals are personal. Sure, it’s great to sign up for a 10km fun run with a mate, but if they’re a veteran and you’re new to running, you could wind up on the back foot, fast. Instead, talk to your Step into Life personal trainer about your unique:• Ambitions;• Expectations;• Availability to train; and• What your time frame is to achieve the end result.For example, at the end of an eight-week fitness plan you will usually see some change – whether you’re out to lose weight, increase your strength or reach a long distance milestone.2. A WORD ABOUT WEIGHT LOSSWhen setting a weight loss goal, start with a thorough assessment of what your goal weight is. Think of when you were last at your goal weight. If you’ve been there before, what made it possible? If you were exercising every day and you were totally committed to good nutrition, you’ll need to recreate that environment. But, remember,if things have changed since then – i.e. you might have kids now,or growing work and social commitments. Take these factors into consideration, and set an easier target to achieve first up.3. RUNNING GOALS THAT WORKIn most cases, short distance running goals, such as 5km, can often be achieved simply by:• Getting active• Building your fitness naturally over time, and• Giving the event a red-hot-go on the day.For longer distance events, however, such as a half-marathon or marathon, you’ll need to inject more dedication and discipline into your training preparation. Start out with a fitness plan that mapsout the gradual progression of your long run distance milestones. Make a special note of what dates you hope to achieve 10km and then 20km. Think of these targets as signposts that help keep you on target for the longer goal.