If you’re like most people, the holidays were a time to indulge – perhaps a little too much! With the New Year come fitness tips to help achieve your resolutions!
Maybe your goal is to lose the weight put on over the last few months or maybe it’s to completely change your life. These 5 fitness tips are going to help you get started.
Health and Fitness Tips for Achieving Your 2015 Resolutions!
It can be easy to fall out of your routine during the winter. The days are shorter, the temperature is cooler (or just plain cold!), and fitness motivation can grow thin. Now that 2015 is upon us, how do we regain our health focus?
1. Be Realistic!
Spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, Marilyn Tanner, says that setting realistic goals is the best way to not get overwhelmed.
Tanner notes that it’s critical to “assess where you are now, and then break it into achievable goals.” Keeping your resolutions to a small number will keep you focused on the most important goals.
A great way to begin the year is to start with a simple physical activity goal and a nutrition goal. Make sure they’re attainable, but not too easy to accomplish. As the weeks go by, you can refine your goals or design new ones to continue development.
2. Get Committed
Once you’ve established your goals, the next step is commitment. It’s no secret that most resolutions are abandoned as the year goes by. Some studies suggest that as few as 8% of New Years’ resolutions are actually achieved.
If you really want to commit to your goals this year, consider a commitment contract. Research indicates that people who enter a written contract stick to fitness goals for a longer period of time.
3. Bring a Friend or Get a Personal Trainer
There will be times when your motivation dips no matter how good your goals or how committed you are. That’s when having a workout pal or a personal trainer can come in handy!
Having either one (or both!) will guarantee a regular fitness schedule. The trainer brings an extra advantage since you will be paying for exercise expertise! If you don’t have the financial means to get a personal trainer, a workout buddy can still keep the motivation level high and help avoid skipping workouts.
4. Make It Fun!
Exercise is not meant to be punishment for your body! Staying fit, active and healthy does not have to mean long hours in the gym or routines that you hate. If you enjoy what you’re doing, you will be much more likely to stick to your goals.
Don’t like treadmills? Go swimming! Don’t like yoga? Do some strength training! The point is that working out will not be the same for everybody. Being active and healthy should not be boring.
5. Treat Yourself
For some, setting resolutions and sticking to them could be reward enough. For the rest of us, having a treat can give extra motivation and develop a “habit loop.”
According to journalist Charles Duhigg, a neurological habit loop is the set of cues that trigger a behavior, routine and the subsequent reward. The brain can attach to external rewards easily and “increase the odds the routine becomes a habit.”
These rewards should be something you enjoy such as a long, relaxing bath or a post-workout fruit smoothie, but be careful not to blow your nutrition goals! The purpose of the treat is not to overindulge, but rather to develop a habit for completing a solid workout.
There you have it! 5 tips to help you achieve your fitness resolutions! Start with achievable goals, follow it by making a commitment, add some motivation with a fitness buddy, be sure to keep it enjoyable, and then reward yourself!
By using these tips you will be well on your way to a successful 2015!
Photograph – Firework Yokohama July06
