One of the more common New Year’s resolutions is always along the lines of “Get fit” “lose weight” or “join the gym.” After the excess of Christmas, it’s only natural to want to get in shape in the New Year, and even those of us that are happy with our figure are often keen to look after our health and make some changes to our fitness routines. But, even with the best of intentions many of us leave these goals behind early in the year.
We start well. New gym memberships soar in the first few weeks of any New Year. But, most of us trail off as time goes on. We fail to stick to our resolutions, we lose track of our goals, and by the time next Christmas has come around, most of us are feeling the same as we do this year! Making resolutions and goals is one thing. Keeping to them, and making them work is something entirely different.
Here are some great ways to make sure you hit your fitness goals by making them ATTAINABLE!
Set More Targets
Most of us start with a big goal. We’ll have a target weight in mind, or just the vague idea that we want to be fitter. These goals aren’t specific enough and don’t really give you clear aims. If you're going to hit these big goals, you need to have targets along the way to keep you on track.
These targets should be short-term and varied. Don’t focus on your weight, as with increased exercise this may fluctuate. Instead, set targets based purely on fitness. How far you can run, your 5k time, how much you can lift, etc. Give yourself a time frame, and regularly assess your progress. When you hit one of your targets, celebrate your success.
Look After Your Body & Soul
Hitting the gym isn’t enough if you want to take your fitness seriously and reach your big goals. You need to look after your body in other ways. If you have any injuries or problems with your muscles or joints, Physiotherapy can be a big help. Getting plenty of sleep, having days off to rest your muscles and making changes to your diet will also help you to feel your best, allowing you to push yourself harder.
Take time out for yourself mentally too. If you're not in the right head space, you'll struggle to make any real changes in other areas of your life. Read a book that nourishes your soul! The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is on our list for 2019.
Make Sustainable Changes
It’s all well and good cutting alcohol in January or going to the gym five times in one week when you first join. But, is this sustainable? Can you keep it up? These things are good for you, certainly, but lasting changes, even much smaller ones, that you can keep up long term, will have a much more significant effect on your health and fitness.
Start trying to walk 10000 steps a day, using an activity tracker to monitor your progress. Join a class at the gym that you enjoy, and go once a week. Make small, healthy swaps to your diet and try to drink less alcohol, only drinking on two nights a week instead of every day. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with treats and lazy days, as long as you live a healthy lifestyle, move as much as you can and eat a balanced diet — everything in moderation.
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