New Years Resolutions… How to Keep Them Going

The start of the new year is always a big time for setting new goals, beginning a new workout regimen or making resolutions.  More often than not, those goals and habits do not stick around for too long.  Make the most out of your new year and stick to your health plans using the helpful hints below!

1.  Make small goals that lead up to a large one.  Instead of making an unreasonable or unattainable goal that will discourage you if not met, set up weekly or monthly goals instead.  Maybe instead of saying “Lose 50 pounds”, you set a goal to lose 1-2 pounds a week.
2. Look out for excuses.  Know where your weaknesses are and know how to overcome them.  If you don’t have time in the morning to pack a gym bag, then pack it the night before and put it in your car so it is already done.
3. Tell your friends or family about your goals.  This will hold you accountable for results and action.  Even better, enlist some friends to try a class with you or meet you at the gym.  This way, you cannot cancel as easily.
4. Try new things.  Going to the treadmill for 30 minutes each time you walk into the gym and leaving without even looking at the other pieces of equipment will get boring.  Try out a class, some machine weights or ask a trainer for help if you feel intimidated or do not know what you are doing.
5. Make an outline of your day.  Find the time to fit in fitness somewhere.  If you can see you have a busy day ahead and cannot get to the gym at all, make it a point to take the stairs, do some body weight exercises in your office or stretch throughout your day.
6. Track your progress and reward yourself.  If you have no baseline to go off of, it may be difficult to see how well, or not well you are progressing.  When you start to see major changes, choose certain points in which you reward yourself.  Do not reward yourself with food, but maybe a new gym outfit or massage!
7. Lastly, don’t get discouraged if you have a bad day and throw everything you have already done away.  There will be days you are tired, you can’t make it to the gym or you do not reach the goal you wanted.  Don’t let it all go because of one time.  Stay positive and work harder the next time!

Good luck and stick with it for 2014.