Have you been trying to get fitness & adventure as part of your life, but have not been successful? Incorporating fitness as a lifestyle involves setting goals and having a renewed mindset on how you can get and stay fit.
There are so many different ways to stay fit and healthy- including outdoor activities and recreation.
Engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, or kayaking offers significant physical benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, enhanced muscle strength, and increased endurance.
Having clear objectives will help you to stay motivated and focused, making it more likely that you remain committed to your fitness journey.
Also, as I mention in numerous other articles, the natural environment plays a very important role in mental well-being by reducing stress, boosting mood, and fostering a sense of peace and connection with nature.
My goal for this article is to help you identify:
- What motivates you
- Why you should assess your current fitness level
- How to Set SMART Goals- Short Term & Long Term
- Resources for Developing a Training Plan
- How to track your progress
Identifying your motivators helps you hone in on the activities you truly love and should help keep you from quitting. Assessing your current fitness level will give you a practical place to begin. Developing short and long term goals gives you a clear target to reach. A training plan is your “road map” to your goals and then tracking progress is a way to measure and then reward your success!
Motivation
Understanding your motivation plays an important role when pursuing outdoor fitness and adventure. The first step is to identify your personal reasons for engaging in these activities, whether it’s to improve health, learn a new sport, or simply enjoy nature. Personally, I am motivated to hike and mountain bike because I love the challenge, help me to maintain my coordination/balance, and they are great for maintaining my fitness overall.
Aligning outdoor activities with your interests and passions will help guarantee that the experience remains enjoyable and engaging. As a result, you are more likely to stick with it long term. Keep a fun and open mind set when you’re exploring new activities. If there is something you tried and just don’t like it, then don’t force yourself either.
It’s also important to recognize the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation, driven by internal satisfaction and enjoyment, tends to cultivate a deeper and more sustained commitment. The examples I provided earlier on why I love to hike and mountain bike are based on intrinsic motivation.
In contrast, extrinsic motivation, influenced by external rewards or pressures, might not provide the same level of long-term fulfillment. External factors may include a friend pressuring you to rock climb or you want to show off on your new bike and be the fastest in the group.
By understanding and harnessing your intrinsic motivations, you can create a more meaningful and rewarding outdoor fitness journey.
Assessing Your Current Fitness Level
If you’re brand new to the fitness world, then assessing your current fitness level is a needed step. It’s a good idea to begin with a visit to your Doctor for a Physical and detailed analysis of your health. Once you get clearance from the Doc, then you can meet with a fitness professional. A Fitness Professional can help you with your goals and provide further assessment resources!
The evaluations with your Doctor and Fitness Specialist should include analyzing your cardiovascular health and your physical capabilities- such as endurance, strength, and flexibility. This can provide a baseline understanding of where you currently stand.
Understanding your limitations is necessary to avoid injury and set realistic, achievable goals. Recognizing areas for improvement allows you to focus on specific aspects of your fitness, ensuring a balanced and effective approach to enhancing your overall physical condition.
So, once you have the go ahead- it’s time to set those goals!
Setting SMART Goals
A very common approach- but extremely practical is setting SMART goals. This strategic approach to achieving success can easily be applied in your outdoor fitness and adventure endeavors.
The SMART acronym stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
The power in the SMART goal is that you will also WRITE them down. A study conducted by Psychology Professor, Gail Matthews, concluded that people are 42% more likely to achieve their goals when they are written down. I also want to add that you then need to put them in a place where you see them every day.
So, let’s take hiking for example. A vague goal would be , “I want to go hiking more”. Many people often have a fitness goal like this as a thought in their head-and then Poof! It goes away as quickly as it came.
Compare this with using the SMART Goal approach where you get it out of your head and onto paper instead.
SMART Goal for Hiking:
“I will hike the Iron King Trail (Specific) for Seven Miles (Measurable/Achievable/Relevant) every Saturday for the next 3 Months (Time Bound)”.
This is a big difference from the first one- and this hardly takes any time at all to write a SMART Goal.
As I discussed earlier though -to create realistic and challenging goals, start by assessing your current abilities and gradually increase the difficulty.
This will help to maintain motivation and avoid burnout. Incorporating milestones and regular reviews can also help you stay on track and make necessary adjustments, ensuring a balanced approach to achieving your outdoor fitness aspirations.
***Not Having enough time to work out is an issue that many people have. I cover this extensively in this post- How To Stay Fit with a Busy Schedule ***
Long-term goals
Here is an example of a long term running goal using the SMART approach:
I will complete the Flagstaff Marathon on June 5, 2024 running 26.2 miles in under 5 hours. To achieve this, starting on Jan. 1st, I will follow my training plan, increasing my weekly mileage from 10 to 30 miles over the next 6 months, stay motivated & injury-free (as possible). This goal aligns with my long-term aspiration of improving my physical fitness and perseverance.
So here is what this Long Term goal looks like broken down into smaller goals:
Short-Term Goals to Reach Marathon Long Term Goals
- Month 1- Increase from 10 to 15 miles per week
- Month 2- Increase from 15 to 20 miles per week
- Month 3- Increase from 20 to 25 miles per week
- Month 4-Increase from 25 to 30 miles per week
- Month 5-Complete a 20 mile run under 4 hours
- Month 6- Run the Marathon
Now, of course this is just an example and is simplified. Each week the mileage is increased by one up to Month 4. Marathon runners also cross train and do strength training. This gives you an idea of how you can take any long term fitness goal and break it down into smaller steps. This is necessary so you can make sure you stay on track.
Short Term Goals
I wanted to provide additional ways you can set short term goals. Setting short-term goals with a focus on weekly or monthly fitness targets, can help maintain motivation, track progress, and ensure steady improvement.
Here are some examples of short-term running goals (Still within the SMART goal setting framework):
Weekly Fitness Targets
Increase Mileage Gradually
- Goal: Add 1-2 miles to your total weekly mileage.
- Example: If you currently run 10 miles per week, aim for 11-12 miles next week.
Consistency in Running Days
- Goal: Run at least 3-4 times per week.
- Example: Commit to running on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and one day over the weekend.
Speed Work
- Goal: Incorporate one speed workout session per week.
- Example: Do interval training, such as 4×400 meters at a faster pace with rest intervals in between.
Monthly Fitness Targets
Total Mileage Goal
- Goal: Increase your total monthly mileage by 10-15%.
- Example: If you ran 40 miles last month, aim for 44-46 miles this month.
Race Preparation
- Goal: Prepare for and complete a local 5K or 10K race.
- Example: Follow a 4-week training plan leading up to the race.
Cross-Training
- Goal: Incorporate regular cross-training activities.
- Example: Add cycling or swimming once a week to improve overall fitness and reduce injury risk.
Develop a Training Plan
There is definite overlap between breaking down a long term goal and a training plan. The training plan is more detailed about the steps you must take to achieve your goals.
Developing a training plan provides a structured regimen that ensures consistent progress and reduces the risk of injury. The first step of course is to identify the days and times you’re available.
Let’s take hiking for instance, a training plan should include gradual increases in distance and elevation to build endurance and strength, along with specific exercises like lunges and squats to enhance leg and core stability. Check out this article for specific hiking plans.
Outdoor workouts benefit from a training plan that incorporates a mix of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. Use nature’s equipment as much as possible- like the trees, grass fields and hills.
Here’s a sample 8-week training plan for outdoor cardio workouts, designed to improve cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and overall health:
Week 1-2: Building the Foundation
Goal: Establish a base level of fitness and get used to regular cardio workouts.
- Monday: Brisk walk – 30 minutes
- Tuesday: Jogging – 20 minutes
- Wednesday: Rest or light activity (stretching, yoga)
- Thursday: Interval training – 1 minute fast walk/jog, 2 minutes walk (repeat for 20 minutes)
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: Long walk/hike – 45 minutes
- Sunday: Rest or light activity
Week 3-4: Increasing Intensity
Goal: Gradually increase workout duration and intensity.
- Monday: Jogging – 25 minutes
- Tuesday: Interval training – 2 minutes jog, 2 minutes walk (repeat for 20 minutes)
- Wednesday: Rest or light activity
- Thursday: Steady-state cardio (running or brisk walking) – 30 minutes
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: Long walk/hike – 1 hour
- Sunday: Rest or light activity
Week 5-6: Building Endurance
Goal: Further increase workout duration and introduce more variety.
- Monday: Jogging – 30 minutes
- Tuesday: Hill workouts – Find a hill, run up for 30 seconds, walk down (repeat 6-8 times)
- Wednesday: Rest or light activity
- Thursday: Interval training – 2 minutes run, 1 minute walk (repeat for 25 minutes)
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: Long walk/hike – 1 hour 15 minutes
- Sunday: Rest or light activity
Week 7-8: Peak Conditioning
Goal: Maximize endurance and cardio capacity.
- Monday: Steady run – 35 minutes
- Tuesday: Interval training – 3 minutes run, 1 minute walk (repeat for 25 minutes)
- Wednesday: Rest or light activity
- Thursday: Hill workouts – Run up for 45 seconds, walk down (repeat 8-10 times)
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: Long walk/hike – 1 hour 30 minutes
- Sunday: Rest or light activity
Tips for Success:
- Warm-up and Cool-down: Always start with a 5-10 minute warm-up (walking, light jogging) and end with a cool-down (walking, stretching) to prevent injury.
- Hydration: Stay hydrated, especially during long workouts.
- Proper Gear: Wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the terrain and weather.
- Listen to Your Body: If you experience pain or excessive fatigue, adjust the intensity or take extra rest.
By following this structured plan, you’ll build cardiovascular fitness and endurance through a variety of outdoor cardio workouts, making the experience enjoyable and effective.
Rest and recovery periods are essential components of any training plan, allowing the body to repair and strengthen, thus preventing burnout and overuse injuries. It’s important to adjust the training plan based on progress and feedback, using performance metrics and personal reflections to make necessary modifications that keep the plan effective and aligned with one’s evolving fitness level.
Staying Motivated and Overcoming Challenges
Staying motivated and overcoming challenges are key aspects of maintaining a successful fitness routine, especially for outdoor cardio workouts. Strategies for maintaining motivation include starting with the SMART goal.
Break the SMART goal into short-term goals that will help you track progress and keep the larger objective in sight. Celebrating these small victories can boost morale and create a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, joining outdoor fitness groups or communities offers a supportive environment where individuals can share experiences, gain encouragement, and hold each other accountable. These social connections can transform workouts into enjoyable social activities, making it easier to stay committed and motivated
Dealing with setbacks and injuries
Injuries happen and how you deal with them along the way makes a big difference in your physical and mental well being. To prevent injuries in the first place, be sure to have proper warm-up routines, use the right gear, and listen to your body’s signals to avoid overexertion.
Equally important are mental strategies for handling setbacks, such as maintaining a positive mindset, setting realistic goals, and seeking support from friends, family, or professionals.. Rewarding yourself for progress acknowledges the effort invested and provides a tangible reminder of your capabilities and resilience, helping to foster a proactive approach to overcoming challenges.
Tracking Progress
A thorough training plan is going to help you the most with this. You can keep it simple and just check off on your plan every day once you’ve accomplished your run, workout, etc. Tracking progress is essential for staying motivated and achieving long-term fitness and adventure goals. One effective method is keeping a journals or log book, where you can keep detailed records of your workouts, hikes allowing for reflection and adjustment over time.
There are also numerous fitness and adventure tracking with goal-setting features, and community support. Regularly reviewing and adjusting goals ensures they remain challenging yet attainable, adapting to your evolving abilities and aspirations.
How to Set Fitness & Adventure Goals Summary
The first steps include identifying what motivates you and making time. Establish the days and timeframes for fitness. Then, set your SMART goal- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound.
More than likely- if you want to stay fit for the long term, you’re going to have a combination of long term and short term goals that come from this SMART goal. Of course you may find that you start off with a couple of them. A solid training plan will keep you on track and help you to measure your progress along the way.
The most important step is to get started. Don’t wait for that perfect moment because it may never come. Your health is priceless and you shouldn’t wait even another day to get started.
Already have fitness & adventure goals in place? Would love to hear your approach- please leave a comment!