Every new year brings new resolutions, and achieving fitness and wellness goals is typically in the top three.
Unfortunately, the average person stops following their game plan after two weeks and has totally given up by February.
There are common missteps people make as they list their resolutions. These include making superficial goals in an effort to look like someone else, goals that are too vague in just vowing to exercise more, or goals that are too technical as one can drive themselves crazy counting calories. This leads to failure year after year.
Here are five guideposts to help you achieve your personal fitness and wellness goals that are obtainable and sustainable.
If you only show up to a group exercise class because it fits in your schedule, but you really hate the music and the instructor isn’t that exciting, you will gradually stop giving your best effort.
You’re simply going through the motions of being physically present and it does not take long for this to be a complete waste of time with no results.
They say variety is the spice of life and this totally applies to exercise too.
Just as you wouldn’t eat the same meal every day, your workout should also be full of options. Introducing several activities to your weekly routine helps bust plateaus and keeps monotony at bay.
Additionally, variety helps prevent overuse injuries due to repetitive movements.
Once you have planned out your schedule, recruit a different friend for each activity.
A running partner with a similar pace, a fellow yogi, and a friend who enjoys lifting weights as much as you do keeps the conversation fresh and camaraderie high.
In addition to workouts with friends, remember to take time for yourself. Devoting a day or two for a solo workout also has its perks. This is the perfect time to collect your thoughts, enjoy new music or catch up on an audiobook.
Journaling has benefits beyond tracking your exercise progress.
It is an excellent way to have an honest conversation with oneself. Understanding how we function emotionally plays a bigger role than one may think when it comes to our decision-making process.
If a person is stressed and frustrated, they might channel that anger into the best workout they’ve ever had or skip the workout and eat a pint of ice cream. Acknowledging our triggers helps us navigate through them and make better choices.
Every evening before you call it a night, instead of scrolling through social media, take 10-15 minutes to document your workouts, the foods you ate, and your feelings.
Include reflective thoughts and motivational quotes as well.
Designate a day to review a week of entries to gain more insight into what drives you. This visual accountability is very beneficial for identifying behavioral patterns that point to why you keep falling off the fitness wagon.
RELATED: Meditation 101: When, Where & How To Do It
Meditation goes hand in hand with journaling. This is a time for you to be in your personal space, free of distractions. Guided imagery, breathwork, reciting mantras, or simply sitting in silence are all forms of meditation.
This practice can evoke mindfulness, focus, and clarity in your daily life and help you eliminate stress and negative self-talk. It also has a plethora of health benefits from calming anxiety to lowering blood pressure. This practice can help you set the tone for daily physical activity. As this can be a challenging process to “be still”, it is good, to begin with 5 minutes each morning and progress from there.
Resolutions are not unattainable. These guideposts are uncomplicated ways to find the right direction toward your goals. Find your variety, find your friends, find your inner peace and find your success!
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