Every January, millions of people set out to achieve better health. Yet, many abandon their goals within a few short weeks. Don’t let that happen to you this year. Use these five fitness tips to help you nail your New Year’s resolution.
Table of Contents
1. Rethink Dieting
If you have made a resolution every year for what seems like forever, yet you still find yourself making the same mistakes, it’s probably about time for a change in plan. One strategy that many people have found helpful is to give up dieting. That’s right; stop trying a new diet every year.
You may be wondering how you are supposed to get more fit if you aren’t dieting. The reality is, most diets don’t really do much but cause unhealthy relationships with food. That can lead to a never ending cycle of losing and gaining weight, which is definitely not good for your health. So, instead of jumping on the bandwagon for the latest fad diet, commit to rethinking your eating habits and making healthy changes.
Work to adopt overall healthy eating habits, like increasing fruits and veggies and using probiotic food supplements to support a healthy gut. If you absolutely have to use a diet program, look for a healthy eating program that encourages a range of foods and flavors. This will make it easier to stick to, plus you won’t feel deprived.
2. Make Small Changes
No matter what fitness goals you want to achieve, it will be easier if you take small steps to get there. Let’s take a moment to look at why baby steps are the way to go if you really want to nail those fitness goals.
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Say you want to increase your physical activity. However, setting a resolution for going to the gym five days a week — every week — for the year is a goal that is destined for failure. A smaller and more realistic goal would be to increase your physical activity by 30 minutes per week each month for six months. Even if you are a complete couch potato now, that puts you on track to reach the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week by the middle of the year. Plus, it’s realistic and completely achievable.
3. Practice Self Care
Self-care is about doing things that take care of your body, mind, and spirit. Many people think of this as an indulgence, but they miss the point of self-care. It is not about indulging in luxuries or pampering yourself, but rather about taking proper care of yourself. It might include aspects of nutrition, exercise, social activities, hobbies, creative expression or learning.
What self-care means will look very different from person to person. For you, it may include relaxing in a hot bath with a book once a week, while for another it’s an intense kickboxing session at the gym. It’s helpful to remember that it is completely normal — and healthy — to seek out the self-care practices that work best for you.
4. Use the Buddy System
If you have a tendency to veer off course when it comes to your annual fitness goals, the buddy system may help you stick with it this year. This pairs you up with another person, such as a friend, family member or co-worker, to keep each other accountable.
Ideally, you and your buddy will share experiences, both good and bad, throughout your fitness journey, motivate each other during lagging periods and be a sounding board for frustration.
5. Make Exercise Fun
Does the idea of stepping onto a treadmill fill you with dread? If so, then that probably isn’t the activity that is going to get you to your fitness goal this year. In fact, any exercise that makes you want to run screaming the other way is probably a bad fit. Look for things you enjoy, even if they aren’t traditional exercise activities. This can help keep you motivated to reach your goal.
No matter what your fitness goals are this year, taking small steps, eating a balanced diet, keeping it fun and using the buddy system can help you achieve them.
