The New Year is quickly creeping up on us. Do
you have a New Year's Resolution? Well, if you're like most Americans (88
percent in 2001 according to a GNC poll), you have at least one resolution.
And, if you are like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution
is probably related to health and fitness. In 2001 (according to GNC), 55
percent promised to eat healthier, 50 percent resolved to exercise more, and
38 percent wanted to lose weight.
While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at
keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, it's easy to get
caught up in it without really taking them seriously.
We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, I'm afraid, are
not immune. However, especially for promises that include improving our
health, it's in our best interest not to take them lightly.
So, what's the secret to successful resolutions? While you can't wave a
magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to
take that will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself.
- Choose an obtainable goal. Resolving to
look like a super model is not realistic for the majority of us, but
promising to include daily physical activity in our lives is very
possible.
- Avoid choosing a resolution that you've
been unsuccessful at achieving year after year. This will only set you up
for failure, frustration and disappointment. If you are still tempted to
make a promise that you've made before, then try altering it. For example,
instead of stating that you are going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to
eat healthier and increase your weekly exercise.
- Create a game plan. At the beginning of
January, write a comprehensive plan. All successful businesses start with
a business plan that describes their mission and specifics on how they
will achieve it. Write your own personal plan and you'll be more likely to
succeed as well.
- Break it down and make it less
intimidating. Rather than one BIG end goal, dissect it into smaller
pieces. Set several smaller goals to achieve throughout the year that will
help you to reach the ultimate goal. Then, even if you aren't able to
reach your final goal, you will have many smaller, but still significant,
achievements along the way. For example, if your goal is to complete a 10K
race, your smaller goals could be running a 5K in less than 30 minutes,
adding upper and lower body strength training to increase your muscular
endurance, and running 2 miles with a personal best completion time.
- Make contingency options: Don't assume
sticking to your plan will be smooth sailing. Plan on hitting bumps along
the resolution road and be prepared with specific ways to overcome them.
What will keep you from skipping your workout or stop you from having a
cigarette? This may mean seeking help from family or a professional,
writing in a journal, etc.
- Give it time: Most experts agree that it
takes about 21 days to create a habit and six months for it to actually
become a part of your daily life.
- Reward yourself with each milestone. If
you've stuck with your resolution for 2 months, treat yourself to
something special. But, be careful of your reward type. If you've lost 5
pounds, don't give yourself a piece of cake as an award. Instead, treat
yourself to something non-food related, like a professional massage.
- Ask friends and family members to help
you so you have someone to be accountable to. Just be sure to set limits
so that this doesn't backfire and become more irritating than helpful. For
example, if you resolve to be more positive ask them to gently remind you
when you start talking negatively.
- Don't go it alone! Get professional
assistance. Everyone needs help and sometimes a friend just isn't enough.
Sometimes you need the help of a trained professional. Don't feel that
seeking help is a way of copping out. Especially when it comes to fitness,
research studies have shown that assistance from a fitness professional
greatly improves people's success rate.
- Limit your number of promises. You'll
spread yourself too thin trying to make multiple changes in your life.
This will just lead to failure of all of the resolutions.
- Test your flexibility: Realize that
things change frequently. Your goals and needs may be very different in
April then they were when you made your resolution in January. Embrace
change, even if that means that your resolution is altered.
- Keep a journal: A journal helps you
recognize your positive steps and makes it harder to go back to the same
old habits.
On average only about 20 percent of us keep
our New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are
found in fitness resolutions. But don't let the statistics get you down. By
following the tips above you'll be better equipped to fall into the
successful 20 percent category.
Lynn Bode is a personal trainer and
founder of WorkoutsForYou.com. She is certified by both ACE (American
Council On Exercise) and AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America)
and is a published fitness author. You can reach Lynn via email at
info@workoutsforyou.com or through her website at
www.workoutsforyou.com. |
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