With the New Year in play, we all give ourselves multiple goals to reach and at some point we’ve all had the resolution to start and stick to a workout routine. It’s also fair to say that we probably didn’t stick to it as long as we hoped for. In these instances, we create some ungodly intense workout routine and put ourselves down by calling ourselves ‘unfit’ or ‘lazy’ if we’re unable to keep going. While working out can bring so so much physical pain either during or after the process, it shouldn’t be bringing any sort of negativity onto ourselves. So, here’s some tips on how to stick to this resolution if it’s something you’ve chosen to pick up.
1. First, try changing up the resolution itself and be specific.
Instead of having a goal like ‘start working out,’ switch it up to ‘stay active 5 days a week.’ Getting the body to move for at least 30 minutes a day is enough, so it’s completely okay if you’re not having an intense sweat session on the daily. Plus, slamming yourself into these intense workouts can make you too hard on yourself for not reaching these goals. My favorite ways to stay active are: walking, doing yoga, and full-body workouts with bodyweight exercises. Focusing on staying active will help you find activities you enjoy and keep wanting to do, making it easier to achieve your goal and feel good overall! This is also helpful if you want to ease into working out since you can schedule in some active rest days by going on walks, for example. Having a specific goal with a timeline is also super beneficial in reaching these goals (i.e. ‘walk 10k steps daily for 3 out of 4 weeks of the month’ or ‘shave 30 seconds off of mile time each month’).
2. Write it out!
It sounds like too simple of a tip, but this is a great way to keep ourselves accountable for being on track. Get a hold of a calendar and write out your progress each day. For example, if your goal is to walk a certain number of steps weekly, write out your steps daily onto the calendar. If you just want to ‘stay active’ a few days of the week, write out the activity you did for that day. You can even implement a reflection portion if you want to track how the activity you’re completing makes you feel or your overall progress towards your goal. Again, this shouldn’t feel like a chore or a way to beat yourself up over your goal. Personally, I love checking things off on my planner, so writing what I did for the day to stay active is just a bonus in the process!
3. Make it enjoyable!
If I could repeat this tip a hundred times here, I would. It is so important to make this an enjoyable journey and not be hard on ourselves and our bodies. Hold zoom sessions with friends to work out together (trust me, it’s 100% doable)! Listen to some good, loud, banging music that gets your energy going or some podcasts that motivate and entertain you. Make it a bet or challenge between friends (ex: first one to hold a plank for 2 minutes gets to make the other buy them food). Go on walks while catching up with friends or family over the phone. These are just a few, simple additions that can really make a world’s difference to reach your goal in an enjoyable manner.
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