Every year, it’s the same story.
Buzzing with champagne and the promise of new beginnings, you make a fresh set of New Year’s Resolutions. This is the year you drop the weight, sign up for that marathon, or master the handstand. For the first month or so, you nail your training plan, and then…well, life happens.
If you’ve gotten off-track with your fitness goals for the year, you are certainly not alone. A study of resolution-makers found that only 43% of participants kept up their New Year’s resolutions after three months. If you are one of the many people looking for tricks to feel inspired about your fitness goals again, look no further. Here at Well Citizen, we’ve done the research for you!
- Start Simple
Exercise burnout is a real thing. So many of us jump into our workout plans full force, thinking that high effort will yield the greatest results. However, we can set ourselves up to fail, by creating unrealistic daily expectations. If you are dreading walking into the gym or stressing about how to fit an hour of exercise into your day, it may be time to reassess. Ask yourself how much time you can realistically devote to workouts a week. If that’s only fifteen minutes a day, start there! Half of the fitness battle is mental. Proving to yourself that you can show up every day will lead to greater progress, in the end.
- Eat Well
We’ve all heard the cliche that “abs are built in the kitchen.” While that holds some truth from a nutritional standpoint, a healthy diet can also be a key factor in keeping you motivated for your exercise routine. According to a recent study, people who regularly consumed fruits and vegetables reported feeling higher levels of curiosity and creativity than those who did not. When you are feeling physically and mentally well, it is much easier to motivate yourself to work towards your goals. Looking to boost your nutrition? Check out our list of powerful superfoods to help you put your best foot forward.
- Learn a New Skill
For many of us, our fitness resolutions are motivated by aesthetic goals. Whether you are looking to build muscle or lose weight, many find that using these goals as motivation creates lots of negative self-talk inside their heads. And who wants to do an activity that leaves you feeling bad about your body?
Coming up with skill-based goals can be a great way to help create focus while maintaining a positive mindset. Maybe you were inspired by the 2022 Olympics, and want to dig out your old ice skates. Maybe you’ve always wanted to master the splits. Or maybe it’s as simple as increasing the number of push-ups you can do. Find a skill that inspires you, and use that as a motivating force to build up your strength and mobility!
- Create Accountability
Any successful person will tell you that nothing is ever achieved on your own. Your fitness goals are no different! Creating an accountability partner means that you are not the only person who is invested in your success. Plus, it’s much easier to make that cold, wintery trek to the gym, when you know you’ll be greeted by a friendly face.
Can’t find a friend to work out with? Try joining a group class or finding a virtual fitness program with a discussion forum, so you can share your struggles and triumphs with others.
- Remember Why You Started
We all lead busy, hectic lives and it can be easy to prioritize your friends, partner, and family before we ever get around to prioritizing the most important relationship in our lives…ourselves! Honoring the commitments we make to ourselves is the number one way to build self-esteem. Going back to what originally inspired you to take the first steps can help you keep your eye on your long-term goals, rather than getting caught up in the daily challenges. Use visual reminders for yourself, whether that’s changing your phone background to a picture that inspired you, or simply hanging a post-it with your goals on the wall. You are capable of doing even more than you imagined for yourself!
Do you have a New Year’s Resolution you want to re-commit to? Share with us, in a comment below!
