If you’re like most people, you’ve already made your top-three list of New Year’s Resolutions: eat better, lose weight, go to the gym more. Making a resolution is a great start, but studies show that individuals who start their fitness plans before Christmas are 70 percent more likely to succeed past the trend decline in late February.
Making a resolution is the first step to positive action, but to succeed you need more than a to-do list. You need a plan of action and the more detailed that plan, the more likely you are to follow it.
Be cautious of daunting, overwhelming and unattainable goals, such as “I’ll never eat sugar again” or “I’ll go to the gym three hours a day for six days a week and lose 20lbs in two weeks.” These extreme cases are actually on a lot of people’s fitness plans and rarely sustainable.
Make a plan with realistic goals and a detailed strategy.
Here’s a good example of a realistic list of goals:
• Create a workout schedule: If you’re starting from scratch, start with a one-hour session, three times a week. If you’re a morning person, go in the morning. If you’re not a morning person, go at night. Don’t try and change who you are before you’ve started to change what you do.
• Practice the art of subtraction: Start subtracting one unhealthy habit from your daily routine every week. This week, subtract soda from your routine. Next week, subtract fast food, etc.
• Practice the art of exchange: This week, drink water in place of soda. Next week, eat vegetables in place of fast food.
Whatever your list looks like, make it realistic, attainable and sustainable and progress at a comfortable pace that works for you. Don’t sell yourself short by walking when you could be running, but don’t burst into a dead sprint when you know you’re going to barf at the end of the road.
Now that you have a plan of action with realistic goals and a detailed strategy, enlist the help of others. Find friends or make friends with similar goals and plan to work together. Either workout together or work on your fitness plans or grocery shopping together. Having a fitness-buddy will double the length of your commitment and create a sense of partnership and community.
Lastly, if you can afford the added benefit of a fitness professional, get one. Personal trainers offer a level of insight and accountability that most people lack on their own. Make sure they have credible, nationally recognized certifications, testimonials and a reputable history. Don’t be afraid to try a few before committing to large packages and be clear about your goals and expectations.
Most importantly, don’t stress. Getting into action is the right way to go and as long as you’re getting to the gym, playground or wherever you go to get fit, you’re already on the right path.
Ease into it and do a little more every day. Focus on the process and you’ll find yourself “dancing” on the treadmill or laughing on the training floor in no time. You are a process, not a product so get up and play, live and love yourself.
Jeremy Manning has been an Advanced Specialist from the National Academy of Sports Medicine for more than a decade. He’s been a personal trainer at five-star facilities, such as Equinox and Sports Club LA, and has partnered at high-end private training facilities. He’s a fitness model and two-time international bronze medalist in Tae Kwon Do and has worked with celebrity clients such as Cheryl Tiegs and Neal Baer. More info.
