Did you know that 80% of people will give up their New Year resolutions by the second week of February? This year there are a few simple things you can do to make sure you don’t become one of these people.
1. First you need to start off with a good goal. Too often people make goals like “I want to lose weight” or “I’m going to start eating healthier.” In order to make a good goal that you’ll actually stick to it needs to be a SMART goal. It needs to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time based. An example of a SMART goal would be “I want to lose 15lbs by April 1st by running at the gym 3x per week.” By setting SMART goals you know exactly when you hope to achieve this goal by, how you’re going to do it, and if it’s something that you can realistically achieve.
2. Make a plan for yourself. Where do you plan on working out at? What days and times do you plan on working out? How will you begin eating healthier? How do you plan on reaching your goal and actually staying motivated? Write your goals down and determine every step you need to take to accomplish those goals.
3. Set yourself up for success. Put a gym bag in your car so you can’t use the excuse you forgot to grab your gym clothes. Meal prep on Sundays so you are not tempted with running to grab fast food during the week. Have your family/friends help hold you accountable so they can help motivate you through the year. Find something to reward yourself with when you reach your goals to help you stay encouraged to work towards your goal.
4. Safely begin working out. Always check with a doctor/physical therapist first if you have any serious medical conditions or injuries prior to beginning a workout routine. Also, don’t overdo it the first week. Start off slowly and don’t try to run a marathon right away. Give your body proper time to rest between workout sessions and wait at least 48 hours between resistance training the same muscle group. If you’re unsure of how to properly do an exercise, ask an expert for how to do the proper technique.
5. Here are the ACSM’s general fitness guidelines for all adults to maintain proper health and wellness: Cardio for at least 150 minutes per week. Resistance train each major muscle group 2-3x per week. Work on flexibility exercises 2-3x per week, holding each stretch for a total of 1 minute. Neuromuscular control (aka, balance) or agility training, should be done 2-3x per week for at least 20 minutes per time.
-Happy New Year!
~ Dr. C. Svitak
