07 Feb How to Make and Keep Your New Year Fitness Resolutions
It’s that time of year again, where we take a moment to look back on the year and set resolutions for what we want to accomplish in the next. Fitness resolutions are common among many people who have made changes such as switching from fast food to more healthy options or starting an exercise routine after years of neglect.
The key to sticking with your new fitness resolution is making sure you plan ahead, setting achievable goals and creating a schedule, to stay motivated. Here are some tips for keeping your New Year’s fitness resolution.
How to Stick to Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution
1. Set short-term and long-term goals
Establishing your short-term and long-term fitness goals early on will help you better map out a strategy for achieving them. Your long-term goals bring into focus what your overall vision for the future is.
If you don’t have a long-term goal yet, think about what you want to ultimately achieve in your fitness journey. Is it to lose weight? Are you aiming for a healthy lifestyle? Your long-term goals serve as your north star and help guide you to your future self.
Meanwhile, your short-term goals enable you to reach your long-term ones. Breaking down your goals into smaller and more specific goals helps you to focus on what you need to do presently. For instance, if your long-term goal is to lower your BMI, your short-term goal can be to work out 3 days per week.
You might ask, “How many resolutions should you make”? While there’s no magic number that you should follow, it’s also essential to set goals that are high on your priority list. Listing too many goals can be overwhelming and make it harder for you to attain them. Contrastingly, setting a limited number of goals will make it easier for you to focus on them.
2. Incorporate your resolutions into your routine
New Year’s resolutions can be easier to keep if you establish them in your routine. So leverage the power of habits, and aim to be consistent with your behaviour and attitude. Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done. To help you stay on track, you can utilise a couple of tools that can make the process more convenient for you.
A calendar or planner, for example, can serve as a visual cue or reminder for you to do a certain action related to your fitness resolutions. If one of your resolutions is to work out more, you can schedule your workouts into your planner or calendar.
Set a specific time and make it a habit—daily, every other day, or monthly. Let’s say you want to work out from 1 pm to 2 pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then you simply have to write a reminder on your calendar or planner for those specific days and times.
3. Determine your motivations
When you’re feeling demotivated about your resolutions, think about why you’re doing them in the first place. Sometimes we just need a little reminder to help us remember what our visions are and why we should continue to pursue them.
Did you make your fitness resolutions because you want to be stronger? Are you doing it for yourself? What’s the reason behind your resolution? Determining your motivations can keep you inspired when you feel like giving up on your resolutions for the year.
4. Plan for hurdles along the way
Another method on how to make New Year’s resolutions and keep them is to expect hurdles along the way—and plan for them. Planning eliminates the element of surprise and allows you to be more flexible.
So what kind of fitness challenges can you expect to face along the way? A busy schedule can be a hurdle and so can losing motivation to do your fitness routines habitually.
After determining the potential obstacles you might face, ask yourself: What can I do to prepare for them? In case of a busy schedule, for instance, you can opt for a shorter set of exercises instead of a full workout.
5. Find an accountability partner
Making a resolution and keeping it can be easier if you have a support system. Remember that you don’t have to be alone in this. Finding an accountability partner will help you to be more motivated about fulfilling your objectives.
Your accountability partner could be your friend, family member, or loved one. It doesn’t have to be a single person only as well. You can find and join a community that shares your goals and drives you to keep pushing on.
6. Celebrate small wins
Still unsure how to make a New Year plan that you can stick to? The secret here is to make it fun. Make yourself look forward to accomplishing your short-term goals by setting up a reward system.
Reward yourself for the effort and progress you’re making. For instance, after completing a week’s worth of workouts, you can choose to buy your favourite food or indulge in some TV time as a reward.
7. Don’t get discouraged
It takes time to form new habits and change routines. So don’t beat yourself up if, say, you failed working out for a couple of days.
The psychology behind New Year’s resolutions is that you have to be realistic about your goals. Failing is a part of the process, and it can take a few tries before you can successfully say that you’ve managed to incorporate your resolution into your routine.
So after a failed attempt, try to not get too discouraged quickly and don’t throw your plans out the window just yet. Give yourself time to recuperate before trying again.
8. Monitor your progress
Setting resolutions involves monitoring your progress. So don’t forget to keep track of where you are in your fitness journey.
Check-in on yourself daily or weekly, and use your progress to inspire yourself in reaching more of your goals. You can use a physical planner or journal or use mobile apps for more convenience.
Thinking about how you can make the New Year better? Well, nothing beats the feeling of setting your goals and accomplishing them as the year goes by.
At VH&F, we can help you stay on track with your fitness goals and keep your New Year’s resolutions. Join our community of results-oriented members today. Contact us by calling 01865 600 526 or emailing info@vidavaluegyms.co.uk.