The New Year is just a few days away, and we’re all thinking about our New Year’s resolutions. If you’re like most people, your resolutions are fitness-related. Lots of people start in on weight loss programs, but few stick with it long enough to see results. So how do you make fitness New Year’s resolutions that you’re actually going to keep?
At NDB Fitness, we like to break things down into threes. So here are the three elements that will help you stick with your resolutions and meet your fitness goals.
Timing
This might seem a little counterintuitive, but you should wait a bit before starting your new exercise or weight loss program. The inclination is to start right away, but in the first few days of the year, you are still recovering from the holidays. Give yourself a little time to reestablish your regular routine before you add to it. This year, New Year’s Day conveniently falls on a Sunday, so give it a week before you dive into a fitness or weight loss program.
Attitude
Another important element of sticking with your resolutions is to go into them with the right attitude. In other words, you need to nail down why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s almost impossible to motivate yourself if you don’t have something important to drive you. The best way to do this is to identify a positive rather than a negative goal. For example, think of it not as “I want to lose weight,” but as “I want to have more energy.” Training for a specific event like a marathon or a Spartan race is also a concrete way to orient yourself towards a goal.
Perseverance
The final element is perseverance, and this looks a little bit different for everyone. For some people, it will mean forcing themselves to exercise, even when it’s difficult. For others, it will mean changing tactics when they run out of steam. If something is making you miserable, you’re unlikely to continue with it. If the program you started with isn’t working for you anymore, switch it up. You also need to give yourself some grace. If you fall off the wagon, regroup and try again. Just because you stumble, it doesn’t mean you should give up!
