Catholic Mom Fitness Focus
Keep Your New Year's Resolution
by Lynn Bode
The New Year is quickly creeping up on us. Do you have a New Year's
Resolution? Well, if you're like most Americans (88 percent in 2001
according to a GNC poll), you have at least one resolution. And, if you are
like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution is probably
related to health and fitness. In 2001 (according to GNC), 55 percent
promised to eat healthier, 50 percent resolved to exercise more, and 38
percent wanted to lose weight.
While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at
keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, it's easy to get
caught up in the hype without really taking them seriously.
We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, I'm afraid, are
not immune. However, especially for promises that include improving our
health, it's in our best interest not to take them lightly.
So, what's the secret to successful resolutions? While you can't wave a
magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to
take that will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself.
 | Choose an obtainable goal. Resolving to look like a
super model is not realistic for the majority of us, but promising to
include daily physical activity in our lives is very possible. |
| Avoid choosing a resolution that you've been
unsuccessful at achieving year after year. This will only set you up for
failure, frustration and disappointment. If you are still tempted to make
a promise that you've made before, then try altering it. For example,
instead of stating that you are going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to
eat healthier and increase your weekly exercise. |
| Create a game plan. At the beginning of January, write
a comprehensive plan. All successful businesses start with a business plan
that describes their mission and specifics on how they will achieve it.
Write your own personal plan and you'll be more likely to succeed as well. |
| Break it down and make it less intimidating. Rather
than one BIG end goal, dissect it into smaller pieces. Set several smaller
goals to achieve throughout the year that will help you to reach the
ultimate goal. Then, even if you aren't able to reach your final goal, you
will have many smaller, but still significant, achievements along the way.
For example, if your goal is to complete a 10K race, your smaller goals
could be running a 5K in less than 30 minutes, adding upper and lower body
strength training to increase your muscular endurance, and running 2 miles
with a personal best completion time. |
| Ask friends and family members to help you so you have
someone to be accountable to. Just be sure to set limits so that this
doesn't backfire and become more irritating than helpful. For example, if
you resolve to be more positive ask them to gently remind you when you
start talking negatively. |
| Reward yourself with each milestone. If you've stuck
with your resolution for 2 months, treat yourself to something special.
But, be careful of your reward type. If you've lost 5 pounds, don't give
yourself a piece of cake as an award. Instead, treat yourself to something
non-food related, like a professional massage. |
| Don't go it alone! Get professional assistance.
Everyone needs help and sometimes a friend just isn't enough. Sometimes
you need the help of a trained professional. Don't feel that seeking help
is a way of copping out. Especially when it comes to fitness, research
studies have shown that assistance from a fitness professional greatly
improves people's success rate. |
| Limit your number of promises. You'll spread yourself
too thin trying to make multiple changes in your life. This will just lead
to failure of all of the resolutions. |
On average only about 20% of us keep our New Year's resolutions.
Unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are found in fitness
resolutions. But don't let the statistics get you down. By following the
tips above you'll be better equipped to fall into the successful 20%
category. If you need professional help with a fitness-related resolution,
visit
www.workoutsforyou.com for help.
Additional Fitness Focus
from CatholicMom.com
About the author: Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing
in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which
provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for
each individual. Visit:
http://www.workoutsforyou.com for a free sample workout and to sign-up
for their monthly fitness newsletter. Fitness professionals, visit:
http://www.trainerforce.com
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