It’s that time again…time to focus on your New Year’s resolutions. After a holiday season of celebrating and indulging (often in excess), many view the New Year as the perfect starting point for making positive changes in their health and fitness. You set goals, work hard, make changes but then the excitement wanes and many report to abandon their new fitness routine and/or healthier habits even before the Spring flowers bloom. However, you can increase your chances of long-term success just by following these six simple tips to make your fitness resolutions foolproof.

            
                      Images taken by Kathleen Nolis Photography

1. Simplicity Wins.

 I wholeheartedly believe that fitness should be simple. When you overcomplicate anything, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to stick with it. Your goals should be lifestyle driven to create lasting change and not just a quick fix. Ask yourself this, “Is this fitness program something I could see myself doing for the long-term?” If the answer is no, then reevaluate. Small consistent actions lead to long-term results. Look at your starting point and then decide realistically what you can do daily. Maybe it’s just walking daily for 15-30 minutes but hey if you haven’t moved your body for months, then that is a great start. Find something that is challenging but doable. Once you’ve mastered that routine and it’s become a habit, then change it up a bit by adding weights, varying the type of exercise or even try a new fitness class to up the intensity.

2. Make it social.

 Humans are social beings. We thrive on connection, love a sense of belonging and often show up for others before we show up for ourselves. When starting a new fitness journey, it’s important to have accountability partners. Your accountability partner could be your spouse who knocks out that early morning workout with you at the gym, those virtual check-ins with your online fitness community (like my #3hfitfam) who cheer you on as you slay your home workouts, the running club that keeps you company as you explore your city, and lastly those group fitness attendees that soon become your extended family. Find your accountability partner, schedule that class or workout and show up for each other.

3. Be realistic.

 Often times, resolutions can be extremely unrealistic. Making commitments to yourself and setting those goals are great but make sure they are feasible and not impractical. For example, a goal to lose 20 pounds by Memorial Day is totally realistic and so is the achievable goal of completing a 5K run by Easter. Conversely, a goal to compete in your first ever fitness competition by Valentine's Day or running a marathon as a newbie runner without proper training can be very unsafe. You must build a solid foundation first (start slow with shorter time and lower intensity) and then build upon that (higher intensity exercise and longer duration) as your fitness improves. After all you wouldn’t build a house on the sand without the footers, right? You don’t want it to crumble under a weak foundation and nor do you want your body to do the same.

4. Craft a plan.

 Benjamin Franklin said it best, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” Before you start any new fitness routine, ask yourself these questions… what type of exercise, when will I exercise and how much time will I spend. First, what type of exercise is important, as it should be something you actually enjoy! Don’t stress about what others are doing and stay true to you. Pick an exercise that works for you that excites you and remember it doesn’t have to be a traditional style of exercising either. Movement is movement after all. Secondly, identify 3 days that you can consistently fit in exercise. Be specific on times and stick to those times every week to create a healthier habit. Lastly, start with as little as 15 minutes of movement and then build up to more as your endurance and discipline increases.

5. Create date specific goals.

 As a newbie runner, running 72 miles by summer sounds pretty scary but running 12 miles every month is a little less scary and breaking that down further to 3 miles weekly makes it way more manageable, right? The same strategy can be used for big weight loss goals too. By breaking that yearlong 60-pound weight loss goal into broken down into smaller more attainable goals like 5 pounds monthly, that resolution is then broken down into achievable steps. Another way of making your goals date specific, is actually putting an actual date to your goal and not just breaking it down monthly/weekly. Looking to become a runner or improve your cardiovascular health? Register for a fun run or 5K. Want to improve your strength or incorporate more functional training? Grab some friends and register for an upcoming obstacle challenge course.

Here are some local NC fitness events to put on your calendar for 2020:

February 8^th              Sole Mates 5K/10K                                      Cary, NC

March 21^st                 Ella’s Race 5K/10K/1M                               Raleigh, NC

April 5^th                      Spartan Race obstacle course/sprint          Concord, NC

April 11^th                    NC Rugged Maniac Mud Run                       Rockingham, NC

April 25^th                    Socks & Undies Rundie 5K/kids run          Raleigh, NC

May 16^th                     Tackle the Tar 5K obstacle course              Rocky Mount, NC

June 13^th                    Charity Distance Festival 8K/5K/1M         Cary, NC

July 25^th                     Spartan Race challenge course                    Asheville, NC

October 10^th              Triangle Run/Walk for Autism 1M/5K      Raleigh, NC

October 27^th              Bonefrog Navy Seal Adventure Racing       Charlotte, NC

6. Reward Yourself!

 Just like parents use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior in their kids, you should do the same for yourself. When you achieve those health milestones or fitness benchmarks, it’s important to treat yourself. You’ve worked hard after all! So, you lost your first 5 pounds, ran your first mile without stopping, completed a push-up on your toes or held that yoga headstand finally… then reward yourself but just make sure it doesn’t undo all your hard work. Pro tip: rather than food, go for self-care treats like massages or pedicures, new workout clothing that makes you want to hit the gym, a movie night with your workout partners to celebrate or a getaway with that supportive spouse of yours. Those regularly occurring rewards (divided by goals/dates) will keep you motivated, and you’ll be surprised at how fast you’ll achieve those milestones too!

Remember you are making these resolutions to create positive change in your life so keep a positive mindset as you start putting your plan into action. You are bound to slip up and fall off track along the way but don’t forget you are this for the long haul. Don’t beat yourself up or have guilt for a missed workout or off plan meal, just get right back on track. No more I’ll start tomorrow, just start. Keep your crystal clear 20/20 vision on those 2020 goals and get after it! So much positive change is ahead!

Stay healthy, Stay happy,