Now might be the best time of year to be a salesperson for gym memberships.
With a new year here and resolutions being set, many focus those resolutions on fitness aspirations.
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Seemingly everyone wants to become more fit, but sticking to the process of doing so can obviously be the hard part.
Here are five tips on how to do so and keep any fitness resolutions for the new year alive and well, instead of giving up by the start of February.
Before beginning any exercise regimen, it might be worthwhile to discuss with your doctor as to what type of routine is best.
1. Be SMART about goals
For those who don’t know, SMART is an acronym for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
When setting any fitness goals for 2024, it’s helpful to make sure they are all of the above. If any goals are too ambitious, not realistic and don’t have a time attached, it’ll be easy to become discouraged.
2. Focus on incremental results
Another way to put this is to embrace the process. If you have a goal to lose, say 20 pounds, eat 200 less calories in a day or increase how fast you can run a mile by 30 seconds, it probably won’t happen within a few days of working out.
But focusing on small gains throughout and realizing the benefits any brief pain or periods of being uncomfortable can produce is a great way to stick to it, according to Men’s Health.
3. Mix fun with exercise
OK, going to a gym or doing certain exercise might not entirely your thing. But what about joining a league with friends where you do activities such as basketball, volleyball, kickball, etc.? Or what if you simply like going rollerblading, ice skating or walking the dog in a park?
Mixing some pleasure with the grind of exercise is always a great way to meet any fitness goals.
4. Surround yourself with accountability groups
If you are able to push yourself and hold yourself accountable to any goals, then great! But it never hurts to have other people in the fight with you and pushing with you toward common fitness goals, according to Teeter.
Having other people to lean on for encouragement or to bounce new ideas off of can help keep you motivated and grow.
5. Remember to rest
Proper sleep and recovery time is just as important as spending a couple of hours in the gym or outside doing continuous activity.
Not only does your body need to time to recover and rest to allow the transformation to fully take shape, but so will you mentally, according to 5 Bridges.
Suffering from injuries due to overuse or simply getting burned out is a sure way to see a quick stop to any resolutions about better health.