On average 80 percent of Americans give up their New Year’s resolutions by the second week of February. So there’s still time, right now, to make those fitness plans made in the heat of the moment on December 31, actually stick around for the whole year in 2021. How? Here’s a quick check list on re-setting your resolutions and rebooting your fitness plans for the year ahead.
Review Your Resolutions
The plans we make while the champagne cork’s popping and the ball about to drop, often need a re-set by the time we get the first few weeks of January under our belts. “Get in the best shape of my life” or “Run the Boston Marathon'' are excellent goals of course, but for resolutions to succeed, they need to be realistic, tangible and measurable. Review your plans for the year and the fitness or health resolutions you made. If you resolved to “get fit” this year, put some specifics to that: “I resolve to run three miles, three times a week.” And set benchmarks for yourself so you can check in on progress in the weeks and months ahead.
Share Your Goals
Tell your friends, family members and anyone who will listen about your plan to run a marathon in the Fall (or whenever that’s possible). Speaking about your plans gets them out of your head and into the real world. When others know about your plans they’ll check in and provide motivation and support – sometimes some of the key reasons for resolutions to become derailed. Enlist a friend as a fitness buddy to join you for a socially distanced weekly run or a virtual treadmill workout once or twice a week.
Don’t Forget Diet
If improving health and staying fit is a goal for the year, don’t forget about your diet. Trainers and fitness instructors talk about calories in, calories out – a baseline rule of thumb that says if we indulge more with treats and snacks we need to burn those calories with workouts. But it’s also important to take a holistic approach to diet: make sure to get five full servings of fruits and vegetables each day and stay hydrated (eight glasses of water a day). Eating a balanced meal and controlling portion sizes can help ensure your daily diet doesn’t go off track and impact all the good work you’re doing with your workouts.
Cross Train to Stay Motivated
When we set a fitness goal, working solely towards that can become monotonous. It's important to build in specialty classes and other workouts to build strength, stamina and also stay engaged with your overall fitness. Whether you’re working out in your gym or streaming digital content on demand at home, it’s a good idea to review on-demand class and workout offerings to keep your fitness program varied and challenging. Try incorporating a HIIT session, core strength training workout and some stretch or flexibility classes every week.
Keep a Record to Keep on Track
Use your phone, tablet or a workout progress chart to note the steps towards your goals. Break larger resolutions into smaller weekly steps so you can see the progress you’re making. Some people like to reward themselves at milestones too. A new water bottle after 100 miles doesn’t cost a lot but can be a physical marker of how far you’ve already come to meeting your 2021 fitness goals.
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