How To Set Boundaries To Smash Your Health and Fitness Goals

It can be hard to make time for yourself, especially when your schedule is packed. But if you want to reach your health and fitness goals, it’s important to find time for exercise, healthy eating and a healthier lifestyle. And that means setting boundaries for yourself.

How do you set effective boundaries for your health and fitness goals? It depends on your personal values and what’s important to you.

I believe that in order to be successful in boundary setting for your health and fitness, you need to have a set of values to guide you. It's important to make sure your boundaries fit within your overall values system. If they don't, then you're likely to find yourself feeling frustrated and struggling to maintain your progress.

For me, some of my top values include self-respect, balance, family and vitality. I try to make my boundaries around health and fitness reflect these values. For example, I'll always make sure I have plenty of time for self-care and down time, even if that means sacrificing some social time. I also make a point of eating balanced nutritional meals. And finally, I never miss a chance to get some exercise, even if it's just taking a walk outdoors.

I also have non-negotiables when it comes to the people I associate with. I do not associate with people who are negative or who do not share my values.

What are your top values when it comes to health and fitness? Values can differ from person to person, so it's important to take some time to reflect on what's important to you. When it comes to our personal values, there are typically a few that stand out amongst the rest. These are the values we feel most passionately about and tend to be the guiding force behind our decisions. Identifying your top personal values can help you take aligned actions towards achieving your health and fitness goals.

Here are a few questions to help you identify your values:

1. What motivates me?

Knowing what motivates us is key to setting goals and boundaries that we will actually stick to. When we’re working towards something we care about, such as spending extra years with our loved ones, it’s easier to push through the tough times and stay on track.

2. What energises me?

On the other hand, knowing what drains our energy is just as important as knowing what energises us. If we aren’t mindful of this, we could find ourselves constantly feeling run down and overwhelmed. Setting boundaries around time spent on activities or situations that zap our energy can help us stay motivated and focused.

3. What am I afraid of?

Though it might not be pleasant, facing our fears is an important part of our health and fitness boundary setting. Recognising and acknowledging our fears, (such as ill health, or old age illness and frailty) is the first step in setting boundaries that will help us to avoid them.

4. Who am I doing all this for?

Last but certainly not least, remembering why we are striving for health and fitness transformation in the first place is a great start point to identify our values. Whether it’s for ourselves, our loved ones, or simply to feel better mentally and emotionally, keeping our purpose in mind can help us to set boundaries and stay motivated on days when we feel like giving up

If there are aspects of your life that don't reflect your values, it may be helpful to make some changes. This could mean making small tweaks to your daily routine or making larger-scale changes in your life path. Either way, taking steps to align your actions with your values when setting boundaries is key to living a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

Once you’ve identified your top values, it’s then time to come up with some boundaries that support them. Setting boundaries is not just about saying no to things you don't want to do, but also setting limits on what you'll allow yourself to do. Without boundaries, it's easy to let yourself be overwhelmed or derailed by distractions.

Here are some tips:

1. Set realistic boundaries for yourself

What are your health and fitness goals? What are your limits? What are your triggers? Knowing these things will help you set boundaries that work for you. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure by making rules that are too strict, so don’t try to set a boundary that you know you won't be able to stick to. For example, if you know you can't resist snacking in the evening, don't set a rule that bans all snacking after dinner.

2. Communicate your boundaries to others.

If your boundary is important to you, let the people around you know what it is. This will help them respect your limits and not cross them.

3. Be prepared to enforce your boundaries.

If someone doesn't respect your limits, be prepared to take action to enforce them. This may mean setting limits on how much time you spend with that person or saying ‘No’ to doing something they ask of you.

4. Be flexible with your boundaries.

There may be times when you need to adjust your boundaries in order to meet your goals. That’s ok, as long as it doesn’t become the slippery slope back to ‘no-boundaries land’. You don’t want to give yourself too much flexibility, as this can lead to procrastination and missed opportunities.

5. Remember that it's ok to change your mind.

Your boundaries may change over time as your needs change. That's ok! Just make sure you update your boundaries as needed so they continue to help you meet your goals.

If you’re not used to setting boundaries, start with something small. For example, decide that you’re going to take a brisk walk every day after work. Maybe you need to set a boundary that you only exercise on weekdays to make time for family. Maybe you need to unplug from electronics after a certain time each night so you have time for preparing the next day’s packed lunch, journalling, meditating and self-care. Maybe you need to set a boundary around a fixed ‘bedtime’ each evening to ensure you get plenty of sleep.

To help you further, here is a list of some of the boundaries that our clients have set:

✅ I will not eat processed foods.

✅ I will not eat after 8pm.

✅ I will drink plenty of water each day.

✅ I will get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

✅ I will exercise for 30 minutes every day.

✅ I will eat balanced meals each day.

✅ I will avoid over-indulging in sugary foods and drinks.

✅ I will limit my caffeine intake to 2 cups per day.

✅ I will drink no more than one small glass of alcohol on weekdays

✅ I will focus on positive self-talk.

✅ I will seek support from friends and family when needed.

✅ I will wake up at 5:30am every day to have enough time to workout and eat breakfast before work.

✅ I will not allow myself to skip workouts, even if I am tired or busy. 

✅ I will make healthy food choices most of the time, but will allow myself one ‘less-healthy’ meal per week.

✅ I will schedule one hours time for myself each day

✅ I will say no to drinks after work so I can go home and relax

✅ I will not dwell on my mistakes or failures, but will learn from them and move on.

✅ I will not compare myself to others, but will focus on my own progress.

✅ I will not let negative thoughts or self-doubt hold me back, but will push through them.

✅ I will take some time for myself each day to relax and recharge my batteries.

✅ I will make sure to get enough sleep every night, so that I can be productive the next day.

✅ I will focus on the things that I can control, and let go of the things that I cannot control.

✅ I will be patient and give myself time to achieve my fitness goals, rather than expecting overnight results

✅ I will say no when I need to, and not letting others take advantage of my time or energy

✅ I will wake up early every day to get my workout in before work.

✅ I will pack my lunch and snacks for the day so I have healthy options available.

✅ I will not drink alcohol on weekdays.

✅ I will avoid eating processed foods.

✅ I will create a personal health and fitness schedule and stick to it.

✅ I will make time for myself each week to relax and de-stress.

✅ I will not compare myself to others.

✅ I will focus on progress, not perfection.

✅ I will limit myself to 3 drinks in the pub at weekends

✅ I will be patient and consistent with my fitness and nutrition goals.

✅ I will celebrate every accomplishment, no matter how small.

✅ I will always put my health and well-being first.

✅ If someone is constantly asking for more of my time than I am able to give, I will set a boundary and tell them that I am not available

✅ I will not let anyone control how I feel or what I do

✅ I will make time for myself and the things I enjoy

Of course, setting boundaries isn't always easy. There are times when I really want to say yes to something, but I know that if I do, it will impact my ability to meet my other goals. In those cases, it can be tough to stick to my guns, but ultimately it's worth it.

Knowing that I have firm boundaries in place gives me peace of mind and allows me to focus on what's important. When someone tries to cross a boundary of mine, I can simply remind them that it's a non-negotiable for me. This has helped me avoid conflict and maintain healthy relationships.

I hope that you’ve find this information helpful in setting boundaries for yourself, that they will help you to reach your health and fitness goals.

I’d love you to pop me a reply to this email and let me know one positive boundary you are going to introduce into your life to help you achieve your health and fitness transformation

Cheering you on,

Sean 

If you aren't currently part of our fitness family, and want to know more about training or returning to train with us at Unit 11, Get in touch with me for a free consultation. We have a couple of places available in both our Men's Programme and our Ladies Programme.