4 Tips to help you keep your New Year's Resolution
Well it's that time of year again where people are starting to reflect on the past year to see how they did. Did they progress as a person? Were good memories made? They will look at themselves from the outside in. I think this is a good thing. I think we should all continuously be trying to better ourselves. It's safe to say that one of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to exercise more. That is when people rush to the gym and decide that they want to lose weight, maintain a better mood or just live a healthier lifestyle. According to Statista.com, the top three most popular resolutions in 2018 were: "Eat healthier""Get more exercise""Save (more)money"According to NBC News the top three most popular resolutions in 2017 were: "Get Healthy", "Get Organized" and "Live Life to the Fullest". The list of statistics on this is endless.
Unfortunately, this country makes it very convenient to put your body in an unhealthy state. It's easier to stop at the gas station for breakfast instead of waking up a little bit earlier to make breakfast. It's easier to stop at the fast food place for lunch instead of meal prepping and bringing your lunch to work. It's definitely very easy to go out with the co-workers to dinner after work with a drink to unwind from a busy day. Let me tell you a little secret: just because you get chicken at Chick-Fil-A, doesn't mean that it's healthy. There is no such thing as healthy when you go to a fast food place. I understand that they might be claiming or portraying some items as healthy, but they actually don't care about your health...they care about your money. I know! Weird, right?
So let's move on with the resolutioners. If you are thinking about taking the steps to live a healthier lifestyle, you should know some statistics going into it. According to several sources, people give up on their resolution to getting healthier within 5-7 weeks. My guess is those people (understandably) didn't take the proper steps to make sure that their goal of a healthy lifestyle was maintained. It takes a lot to keep yourself motivated when talking about exercising. It's not easy to do on your own.
I want to break down some steps you can take to make sure that you're sure to make 2019 a healthier year!
Set out several little goals to give yourself the feeling of success. Most people will give themselves a big goal to hit by the end of the year; and that's great although there's nothing in between January and December to make yourself feel like you're in reach or at least staying on track. Let's say your goal is to lose 50 pounds in 2019. That's a very attainable goal. One thing you can do is break it down monthly: that comes out to about 4.2 pounds per month. That is also very attainable. I know it sounds weird but go to the store and get a journal to track your progress. Weight yourself every single day and record the data in the journal (this journal can also come in handy if you're tracking nutrition, too). If you don't lose 4.2 pounds in March then add the difference to April to help you get back on track. This is a great tool for keeping you motivated!
Find an accountability partner. Knowing you're not alone in your fitness journey is a great way to stay accountable. If you know it's difficult for you to stay motivated, I would seek out a friend who is already involved in a gym that they go to on a regular basis and see if you can jump on board with them. If you don't know anyone who goes to a gym you 1) need new friends, or 2) you should find a friend who is also trying to find a way to live a healthier lifestyle and you all can help each other stay accountable.
Find gyms with free trials. I am a big advocate in making sure that you are going to a gym that is right for you. These days, you need to go to a gym that offers a free trial so that you can get a feel for what you're getting into. If they don't offer a free trial then they probably don't have a good retention rate which also means that they're not confident in the performance of their gym. For example, we offer a free trial to any new person who wants to try us out. We figured a week of training with us will give everyone a good idea of how we work and the dynamics of the community.
Keep it interesting. Like I stated earlier, people will give up on their fitness resolution somewhere between 5-7 weeks. Regular exercising at the same place at the same time can get boring; doing anything at the same place at the same time can get boring for that matter. Try to change it up every once in a while. That could mean changing gyms, participating in competitions or just changing the type of exercise. If you're doing nothing but CrossFit, maybe try to work in some hiking or cycling every once in a while. You're still getting in the needed exercise, just in a little different way. Doing competitions can include running a 5k or participating in a CrossFit competition. I hope that if you are someone who has made the commitment to exercising and living a healthier lifestyle that you take these points into account. I wish everyone success in whatever their New Year's resolution they decide to try and master for 2019. Happy New Year from Prime Performance!
