Some of you readers have decided that sometime in 2018 you will 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 2018 resolution is to get fit, then make sure you follow these five tips that will help you to have the best chance of succeeding.
- Make the decision to do it —It’s one thing to make a resolution like everyone else. It’s another to decide that it will happen. If you don’t take this very seriously, it won’t happen and eventually you’ll be like many of the others who give up before the end of January or February. Decide that it will happen and you’re going to do this. Stick to your guns!
- Set goals —You need to do more than say you’re going to get in shape. What will that look like? How much weight do you want to lose or gain? How big do you want your arms/glutes/thighs to be? You need to set goals that you believe that you can accomplish and don’t 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.
- Write them down —You need to have something to remind yourself that you’re committed to the new goal or goals. Writing them down somewhere so you can see them will make a great reminder. Writing things down can also make them appear more official, like you’re making a contract with yourself. You can also post your goals on your social media platforms, so your friends and followers can keep you on track and hold you accountable.
- Make each workout count —There will be times during your workouts that you might want to hold back or give up on your set with a rep or two in the tank. You also may be running at 5.0 (speed) on the treadmill when you know you can go 5.5. If you want to reach those big goals, then you have to give this everything you’ve got. When you leave that gym or weight room, you should know that you gave all you had that day to get closer to reaching your goals. With this mentality, you eventually will.
- Appreciate the small steps —If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, don’t think about the fact that you’re not there yet. If you step on the scale and notice a three-pound weight loss, that is progress and you should be proud of that because it means what you’re doing is working. If you don’t understand this and only think about how you’re not at 20 pounds yet, 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.
