Six Steps to Seeing those New Year’s Resolutions Through

It’s probably no surprise, but one of the most common New Year’s resolutions is related to improving personal fitness. Blame it on all of that holiday merrymaking! Just as unsurprising? While gym memberships spike in January, attendance drops to typical levels as early as February. If better health and fitness is on your list this new year, here are six steps to seeing those New Year’s resolutions through.

Start with Your Goals

Goals have to be specific and measurable to be of any use to you. Otherwise, how can you measure your progress? If your goal is to “get fit,” what markers will tell you when you’re finally “fit”? A better approach is to commit to what you really want, like losing ten pounds or being able to complete a chin up. From there, you can come up with steps for reaching what you want, like committing to three or four workouts every week and cutting soda out of your diet. The idea is setting clear, achievable goals, so be specific.

And while you’re at it, be realistic. If working out is going to be something new for you, it might be a little too challenging to plan for six workouts a week. It’s hard to change your habits, and it takes time for new habits to develop. So plan for little changes over time. Think of training for a marathon. You don’t just show up on race day and run 26 miles. You start by running one mile, and you build over time. The same is true for improving your fitness.

Be Clear about Motivation

If you’re motivated by something superficial, like just looking better, it can be hard to stick with it when the going gets tough. Remember the real benefits of eating better and moving consistently – you’ll sleep better, enjoy more energy and happiness, reduce cholesterol, all that good stuff. Focusing on that can help you develop deeper intentions that will support all of this effort. An emotional response to your goals is far more likely to help you when the alarm is going off at 6 am or you’re considering hitting the drive-thru.

Ask for Help

You’re more likely to just give up if you don’t really know what you’re doing. You’ll learn how to safely and effective perform a variety of exercises without putting yourself at risk of injury, which will only sideline you. A trainer has a lot of advantages, from helping you solidify your goals and building a workout program that moves you toward them to offering nutrition guidance and keeping your progress steady along the way.

Commit to a Schedule

There are no shortcuts when it comes to fitness. You have to put in the hard work, which is why planning your workouts, adding them to your calendar, and prioritizing them is an absolute necessity. Working with a personal trainer can make this part easier – you’re far more likely to show up and work hard when you’re paying for it.

Change Things Up

Doing the same thing over and over isn’t effective, and it’s boring too. This is another advantage of working with a personal trainer. Your trainer will challenge you in different ways, and that’s good for your body and your mind. If you’re committed to doing this by yourself, try experimenting with different fitness classes to change things up.

Be Accountable

Accountability comes into play when someone has expectations about you. A workout buddy or that personal trainer you hired is counting on you to show up and work hard. That makes you more likely to follow through.

Learn more about how to tackle your 2019 fitness resolutions with a free consultation here at Framework Personal Training in Reno. Contact us today.