Some of you reading this have already decided that you are going to wait for some time in 2017 to start taking control of your health and fitness by eating right and incorporating exercises into your regimen.
While you should know that now is the best time to begin focusing on fitness, the fact that you made the decision is worth a bit of respect and praise.
So if your New Year’s resolution is to get fit, then make sure you follow these five tips so you will know what you should do to give yourself the best chance of succeeding.
My personal progression over an 11-month span in 2014 which I achieved by setting and sticking to the goals I had in my head. Make the decision to do it – It’s one thing to make a resolution, like everyone else, that you hope to keep this year. It’s another to decide that it will happen. If you don’t take your health and fitness seriously, this is one resolution that you will not be able to fulfil and you will find that you will have given up before the end of January or February. Decide that it will happen and that you’re going to do this.
- Write it down – You need to have something to remind yourself that you’re committed to the new goal or goals. Writing it down somewhere you can see it constantly will make a great reminder. Writing it down can also make it appear more official, like you have a contract with yourself. You can also post it on your social media platforms so your friends and followers can help to keep you on track and hold you accountable.
- Set lofty goals – It’s not enough to say you’re going to get in shape; you need to be specific. What will getting in shape look like? How much weight do you want to lose or gain? How big do you want your arms/glutes/thighs to be? While it is important to set goals that you believe that you can accomplish, you should not be afraid to set that mark high. It should make you a little nervous when you say what the goal is, but you should understand that you can make it happen if you do what you need to do.
- Make each workout count – There will be times during your workouts, especially in the beginning, when you might want to hold back or give up. Make it count by doing all of the reps you set yourself, however painful it is. You also may be running at 5.0 (speed) on the treadmill when you know you can go 5.5. Speed it up; give it everything you’ve got. When you leave the gym it must be with the knowledge and feeling that you gave it your all and pushed yourself that much closer to attaining your goals.
And if you do this every time, you eventually will.
5. Appreciate the small steps – If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, don’t think about the fact that you’re not there yet. Avoid stepping on the scale every day, because you will be unlikely to see any difference very quickly.
When you do weigh in, however minuscule the weight loss is, look at it as progress and be proud, because it means what you’re doing is working. If you don’t understand this, you will get frustrated and may want to quit.
In the next edition, I will give five more tips you can follow to achieve your New Year’s fitness goals.
Stay tuned friends. If you have fitness goals and need personal training or meal plans I can help. Serious enquiries only. Email: emmersoncampbell@gmail.com or call 661-5954.
