Remember those fitness resolutions you made? Yeah, the ones that you made and then forgot about.
Don’t worry. We forgot about ours too.
New Year's resolutions tend to fade from our memories as the year progresses. Habits that seemed so manageable and straightforward on New Year's Day can get left by the wayside when it comes to following through.
So what to do? Say, oh well, better luck next year? Or create a new tradition?
At StrongTek, we know that fitness is a commitment. That's why we're starting a new tradition of revisiting our fitness goals halfway through the year instead of letting them completely fade into the distance. You’re just three steps away from getting back on track.
Step 1: Assessment
The first step when revisiting your goals is assessing your present fitness level.
Even if you're far from where you had envisioned yourself being way back in January, you should still pat yourself on the back. You are taking care of your physical health at some level. Maybe you haven’t run that marathon. But you have been taking the stairs! Sometimes.
Celebrate the little wins so you don't start the process feeling depressed and overwhelmed by your expectations.
Now ask yourself:
- How do you want to push yourself physically? Do you want to try a new form of exercise or sport? Do you want to work on incorporating movement into your daily life?
- How are you feeling? Are you struggling with fatigue, achiness, or stiffness? If things significantly affect your quality of life, your new goals should address them.
- How is your nutrition? Are you drinking enough water and eating enough vegetables and fruits?
The answers to these questions will help guide the process.
Step 2: Making It Happen
There's a reason we don’t achieve our resolutions, and it has nothing to do with laziness.
Having a goal is useless if you don't make a plan on how to execute it. It's the equivalent of starting a road trip with a destination in mind but no map.
Now, this is not a one size fits all process because everyone has things that work to motivate them best. But there are some guidelines you can follow.
The importance of realistic goals
It's easy to get carried away with something impossible to sustain. Going from low activity to high-intensity exercise is hard on the morale and can also be bad for your health. Injury is way more likely if you don't ramp up slowly.
Instead, think of improving by 10 percent. No activity to even 10 minutes of exercise a day is a big jump. Wait until that 10 percent becomes too easy, then move to 20 percent.
Building in a time and place
Realistic goals are the first step, but too often, you'll probably end your day without doing many of your very "achievable" goals. If you can do something at any time, you will put it off forever.
An essential part of habit formation is building off other habits and creating a trigger for the new one. So ask yourself, what do you reliably do every day?
Maybe you consistently brew yourself some coffee in the morning. Use your balance board while the water heats up. Perhaps you always sit down and read the news. Try finding a news podcast and using that time to take a quick walk around the block or do some yoga stretches.
Try habit stacking to make things stick. It's all about taking your goal and carving out a time and a place you can reasonably expect yourself to put into action.
What moves you?
The last thing to consider is how you plan to motivate yourself. As anyone who's ever made New Year's resolutions knows, no matter how easy and achievable your goals may be, sometimes you're not going to want to.
Yeah, sure, you could do those jumping jacks, but you're tired today, and it's a lot easier to scroll through Instagram.
That's why you need to figure out a concrete motivational fallback for those moments of weakness. Treat yourself like a little kid and give yourself stickers or another small tangible reward for achieving your goals.
Step 3: Renew Your Commitment to Yourself
The New Year is a time of boundless optimism and hope. But that can lead to disappointment if you don't achieve all your goals. That's why you should take the time this mid-year to remember it's never too late to do what's best for you.
If you’re looking for tools to help you on your way, check out our wide range of products for equipment that fits you!