Fitness Resolutions: Tips to Commit

By the end of January, many resolutions have been broken. Changing your habits and lifestyle can be really difficult, especially when it challenges both your body and mind. Staying motivated and positive is the only way to stick to your plans. Here are some tips to conquer your goals!

Plan

Plan out everything. Know what types of exercises you will be doing and when you will be doing them. Are you going to lift, run, swim, or do yoga? If so, on which days? Going into a workout with a strategy already prepared will increase your chances of finishing your workout strong. Without a plan, you can easily talk yourself into fewer reps or sets, cheating yourself of a proper workout. Remember this saying: I’m not finished when I’m tired, I’m finished when I’m done.

With busy schedules, squeezing in fitness can seem almost impossible. So what is a girl or guy to do? Set aside time each day for some healthy activity–even if it is just walking the dog. Pick a time when you will have no excuse not to go. See these arrangements as appointments; you wouldn’t miss an appointment with your boss, right? Why would you want to miss out on something that is going to make you proud?

Create a Goal

You can do all the planning in the world, but if you go into a routine without realistic goals (short-term and long-term) you are going to have a hard time staying motivated. When you are lacking a goal, it is really difficult to notice improvement. The goal can be anything; do you want to be able to do 20 straight pushups, run a half marathon, or swim 500 yards? You cannot plan a successful workout plan if you do not know what you really want to gain from this experience. However, you need to make sure you are realistic. You cannot lose 20 pounds in a week, and you probably won’t be able to run a marathon your first time out. Be patient with your body; let it have time to catch up to the new and improved you.

Have Fun

Do exercises and activities that you enjoy regularly. It is okay to exercise with an unfavorable approach periodically, but you will want to give up much faster if you aren’t enjoying the activities. Have fun with your workouts! If you are really interested in kickboxing or Pilates, take some classes that focus on those activities. If you love what you do, you will be that more willing to get out and accomplish your goals.

A big part of getting healthy is eating right. As you have probably heard, fitness is only 30% of staying in shape; diet (or healthy eating) is 70% of what it takes. No matter how hard you work in the gym, you will not see the results you want if you don’t eat well, so have fun with your meals. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and tasteless. Look up recipes, take some cooking classes, or just experiment on your own. The important thing is that you find something that you enjoy and want to stick with.