Queer Fitness: Setting Effective Goals this Year & How to Achieve Them

January 2020 - We have officially entered a new decade! It’s very exciting but it can also feel somewhat daunting. Starting a new year is an opportunity for us to start fresh as for many of us it represents a new beginning. This is often accompanied by the tradition of setting New Year’s Resolutions, which are the goals we set to improve our lives in the coming year.

The most popular New Year’s resolutions are related to fitness and weight loss and overall health, quitting a bad habit like smoking, and saving money or paying off debts - but since fitness is one of my most important goals, that’s what I am going to be talking about here but these goal setting principles can be used for setting any goals.

LGBTQ+ Barriers to Fitness

Before I get into how to set effective goals to increase the likelihood of success I’d like to first address LGBTQ+ fitness. For a number of queer people there are many potential barriers to achieveing personal fitness goals. When most of us think about working out we think about going to the gym, personal training, swimming lengths or attending a class like yoga, spinning, kickboxing, etc. With many of these options there are gendered washrooms/changerooms, intake forms that don’t allow for flexibility in identity, gendered language associated with equipment or workout routines, staff members who may or may not be knowledgeable or inclusive of LGBTQ+ identities, and of course the chance of harassment. These are very real things that prevent queer folks from participating in traditional fitness spaces.

LGBTQ+ Inclusive Fitness Spaces in Vancouver

Let’s start with the city of Vancouver. Not only is the city of Vancouver updating their policies and their signage (adding signage to washrooms and changerooms to include transgender folks) they’re working toward being more inclusive. NOTE: This information is dated Jan 2020. For more current information see our Sports & Rec pages in our LGBTQI2S+ Resources section.

Trans Fitness at Britannia: The TGD2S weight room is for folks who identify as trans, gender diverse, and Two-Spirit, as well as their friends and family. All ages and abilities welcome. Fitness centre orientations available upon request. Britannia fitness centre staff has received TGD2S competency training.
When: Sundays from 8am to 10am
Where: Britannia Community Centre
Cost: $6.40 drop-in (Leisure Access subsidies apply)
Trans Fit at Creekside: Trans-centered, trans-led, safe(r) training space, body positive, all experience levels welcome!
When: Fridays 6:00 - 7:30pm
Where: Creekside Community Centre
Contact Anna to register: TGD2S@vancouver.ca
Trans Swim at Templeton Pool: The TGD2S swim is for folks who identify as trans, gender diverse, and Two-Spirit, as well as their friends and family. All ages and abilities welcome. Templeton pool staff has received TGD2S competency training. The TGD2S swim may be affected by summer hours, maintenance closures, and special events.
When: Sundays from 11:30am to 12:30pm
Where: Templeton Park Pool
Cost: $6.40 drop-in (Leisure Access subsidies apply)

Other Queer Inclusive Fitness Spaces in Vancouver:

Queer Box Camp: A safe environment for queer, trans* and allied folx to learn boxing.
When: Multiple times a week, check the schedule.
Where: Fox and Unicorn Boxing, 2909 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver.
Cost: $15 drop in, or rates per number of classes a week. Check link above for more information.
Tantra Fitness: Could pole dancing maybe be the new weight lifting? Tantra Fitness is an all-inclusive studio that provides a safe space for specifically women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
With multiple types of classes, class times and four different locations, check out their website for more details.

Queer Sports in Vancouver

Out For Kicks - Vancouver's LGBTQ+ Friendly Soccer League http://www.outforkicks.ca/leagues/3196
Queer Van Soccer - Queer Van Soccer is open to all queer, trans, and non-binary people and allies. The goal of the league is to support the queer and trans community to play the game of soccer in a positive, welcoming atmosphere. www.facebook.com/vansoccer/
Front Runners - Vancouver LGBTQ+ Friendly Running Group https://vanfrontrunners.wordpress.com/
Rain City Ultimate Club - A community organization dedicated to promoting ultimate to LGBT2Q+ individuals and allies by providing a supportive and fun atmosphere in which to develop as athletes and individuals. https://www.raincityultimateclub.ca/
Double Rainbow Dodgeball - http://www.doublerainbowdodgeball.ca

Now that we have figured out where we can get fit, let’s talk about setting effective goals to increase the chances of us reaching them.

Effective Goal Setting

Pick a specific behaviour to change. Start with no more than one to two behaviours to change at a time. Make the goal SMART:

○ Specific. Define the goal precisely.

○ Measurable. Ensure it is measurable, so you can track your progress and stay motivated

○ Achievable & Realistic. Consider whether the goal is achievable in the time frame you’ve set

○ Time sensitive. Has an end date to work toward

More information about setting SMART goals and a downloadable worksheet here.

Consider readiness to change. Consider whether or not this goal is something you are ready to make a commitment to. Is it the right time to focus on this goal? Are there things that might get in the way of achieving this goal? Or is there something else holding you back from making this change that you should address first? Be honest with yourself but don’t make excuses. There are times when goals like increasing exercise might not make sense, for example in the middle of a big move or when you’re expecting a baby.
Identify barriers and anticipate setbacks. If you tried to make a change in the past, what got in the way of success? Be brutally honest about why you failed. Make deconstructing those barriers your first goal.
Implement the change. Approach behavioural change gradually. Make small, specific changes. Plan a schedule to integrates changes into day-to-day life.
Revisit and revise. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks. If you aren’t on track with changes, work to identify barriers again. Were your expectations too high? Was the specific goal you set too ambitious? Revise goals as necessary. Consider what needs to change with the original goal. Are you taking on too much too fast? Is your deadline too fast?
Reward Yourself. Set milestones that help track progress and schedule regular rewards for each achievement.

Change can be a challenge but if you follow these six steps you can increase the likelihood of reaching your goals. Remember that change doesn’t happen overnight and we all experience setbacks.

Photo by Jared Erondu on Unsplash