The New Year is a great time to make fitness resolutions, but if you're like 80 percent of us, it's unlikely that you'll keep that resolution throughout the year, according to an article in the "Wall Street Journal." Resolutions most often fail because the plan is ill-prepared or unrealistic. Yet that same article suggests that simply giving voice to your new plans gives you a 10-times better chance of following through on a lifestyle change. Planning, commitment and a few behavior modification tips may be all you need to keep up with your fitness plan for the whole year and the years to come.
Find a Buddy
One of the easiest ways to keep a fitness or weight loss resolution is to find someone with whom you can workout, suggests an article at weightwatchers.com. Accountability and guilt help keep you on track. Make a plan of action with your buddy that you both feel can be continued, such as walking during your lunch hour or meeting after work at the gym for an hour of group cycling class. Some people find it helpful to put consequences to not upholding the bargain, such as buying coffee for your workout partner the next morning.
Hire a Personal Trainer
Invest in a personal trainer at least once a week for three months to make sure you stay on track and are continuing to work out to your best advantage. An article on quackwatch.com recommends interviewing several different trainers to find one who understands your fitness goals. In addition, make sure your trainer is certified and doesn't try to sell you supplements or is not insured.
Keep a Chart
Pencil in your workouts on your calendar, and then reward yourself for keeping your appointments. Plan your reward system in advance based on the duration of your workouts as well as the results. Reward yourself with a manicure or pedicure if you make it to the gym five times in a week, or enjoy an hour of television or computer game-playing if you take two inches off your waist. Give yourself lots of small rewards because they are more motivating than a big reward that takes longer to achieve.
Break It Up
Remember that your fitness goals for the day do not need to be accomplished in one chunk. Breaking up your hour of daily exercise into four or five chunks gives the same benefit. Walk the dog in the morning, run up and down the stairs at work several times during lunch and go dancing in the evening to complete your goal on days when you can't make it to a class at the gym. The experts at mayoclinic.com suggest doing things like standing instead of sitting at work or trading in your chair for a stability fitness ball to get in some extra fitness.
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