New Years Resolutions and the Gym

So my sister asked me to write a blurb to be put in a nutrition newsletter about fitness and New Years Resolutions. This is what I came up with for the newsletter and it was sent off tonight.

January is right around the corner and it is time to begin thinking about a New Years Resolution for 2014. Did you know that 40% of Americans create Resolutions each year with 21% choosing to lose weight and 14% want to increase the amount of exercise they are doing? This is why gyms around the country see an influx of people signing up for memberships and attending throughout the month of January. I have clients come in with the best of intentions and by the end of January, only a vast few are left trying to accomplish their Resolutions. The reason is due to the fact that when we create goals, they are often far out of reach and unattainable which causes people to lose their momentum because they are not where they ‘see’ themselves being.

When setting fitness goals, one should have a larger goal in mind and then set up mini goals to reach along the way. One of the easiest and sometimes most difficult goal can be to walk into the gym with an open mind. Take the time to talk with other clients and staff members to figure out what it is that you want to set as your goal and then work to achieve. Maybe you want to lose inches off your body but do not know how, or you want to eat better but are not sure what direction to go. Another small goal could be to sit on the floor and be able to get up with ease. Remember there is no such thing as a silly or too simple of a goal, and whatever you choose does not have to be extravagant and over the top. One client had trouble touching the floor as one of the moves to a Zumba song. She decided to make that her larger goal and created smaller goals that she would work towards. First she started with touching the floor once, and then twice, soon she was touching the floor every other time. At the end of two months she was able to not only hit the floor every time but would hit it hard so everyone knew she had succeeded in reaching her goal, it was her reminder that she can do it. This inspired her to create another goal in which she tried other fitness classes that were being offered at the gym to see what she could challenge herself with.

Your goal can be that simple; trying one new class a week or even one new class a month. Make a goal to increase the amount of time or the number of days you spend at the gym. When creating your New Years Resolution consider a few things:

1. Make it attainable
2. Create mini goals to get to the larger goal
3. Be realistic
4. Believe in yourself

Out of the 40% of people who create New Years Resolutions, only 8% of people are able to carry out and reach their goals. Are you willing to challenge yourself to be part of that small group to successfully complete your goal in 2014?