The phrase “new year, new me” may come off as hackneyed owing to its overuse, but for many, its personal as it reaffirms their commitment to following through on their resolution for the year. Every year, millions of people around the world make their resolutions with the intent to spark positive change across various areas of their lives, including finances, personal development, health and fitness, with the latter being a common recurring theme.
Following through on fitness goals is no simple task; it requires discipline, commitment and grit – essentially, it’s tough. With a busy schedule and surfeit of distractions, it’s quite easy to tail off on your progress, however, with these 5 simple tips we’ve compiled, you can revisit this article each time you need a nudge or motivation to smashing the fitness goals you made at the beginning of the year!
- Schedule a Regular Workout Time: While this may seem like a no-brainer, it is important to pick out a time in your daily routine that conveniently works for you and commit to it. Many experts would generally advise to workout in the morning as it has numerous benefits but if your schedule cannot accommodate it, you need to find a time that best works for you. Regardless of when you choose to workout, just ensure you stick to it.
- Find A Workout Buddy: Lack of motivation is a scourge when it comes to fitness. Whether it’s due to the humdrum of daily life or the struggle to keep up with new routines, it is quite common for motivation to ebb away, which is why having a workout partner is important. Having someone with the same schedule, commitment and goals as you will keep you motivated and accountable. Research shows having social support can offer the boost needed to improve performance. Working out with a partner could also inspire you to increase the intensity of your workouts and if one person feels demotivated, the other can re-motivate. Finding the right buddy is important – to do this, you can talk to friends, neighbors, co-workers, or people at the gym.
- Publicize Your Fitness Goals: Now, this may sound a little over the top but sharing your fitness goals with friends or family makes you more likely to be accountable. You can take this a step further by sharing your goals on social media; this way, you’re likely to find someone who is just as motivated as you, and they can be your virtual accountability partner.
- Maintain A Healthy Diet: You’ve heard it umpteen times; diet and exercise are essential for optimal health. A common reason people fall through on their fitness goals is the inability to maintain a healthy diet. Diet and workout go hand in hand like jollof rice and owanbe. If you desire optimum results, you have to view them as inextricable. Whether weight loss is your long-term goal or better physique, you need to eat the right types of food at the right time of the day to fuel your workout performance. While dietary needs vary from person to person, it is important to include highly nutritious foods in your meal, including protein, fruits and veggies and whole grains. Pay attention to calorie count and avoid sweets, fat-heavy foods and alcohol overuse.
- Reward Yourself: Staying fit has numerous rewards, including better sleep, confidence and improved over-all health, but these are all long-term rewards. Giving yourself an immediate reward for reaching a new goal keeps you motivated and fosters positive reinforcement. It gives you something to look forward to and engenders a sense of fulfillment. It could be something as simple as getting a pedicure, going to your favorite restaurant or watching your favorite TV show on Netflix.
Conclusion
Whatever your fitness goals are, ensuring the momentum doesn’t falter is key in achieving them. It is important to be realistic with your goals and constantly remind yourself why you embarked on this fitness journey. Remember, the benefits of staying fit go far beyond looks alone – with regular exercise, you stave off a plethora of diseases and health risks while improving your quality of life tremendously!
