How to Stick With Your Fitness Goals

As in previous years, many will begin 2023 by setting a list of resolutions to get better, healthier, and happier. In fact, fitness goals are among the most popular categories of New Year resolutions. Sadly, not everyone sees it until the end.

Why is it so hard to stick to a workout plan? According to a survey, more than half of Canadians find it hard to incorporate their fitness program into their schedules, while 41% simply get tired and bored with their routine.

Sustaining the commitment to fitness you set for yourself can be difficult, and you will require all the support you can receive. You can stay on track with your exercise regimen with the appropriate mindset and these few tips.

• Set SMART goals
  Use the phrase SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, to create realistic New Year’s fitness goals. The SMART concept assists in turning good intentions into results by offering a straightforward, dependable goal-setting technique.
  • Specific: Instead of mentioning something vague like “I want to slim down”, write how many kilograms you aim to lose.
  • Measurable: Your fitness objective should be measurable so you can monitor your daily development. You’ll be able to identify milestones with certainty if your target is measurable.
  • Attainable: Be truthful about your level of fitness right now and what you can actually achieve given your schedule and other obligations.
  • Relevant: Consider how achieving that goal might improve your life.
    You’ll be more inclined to put up the effort required to reach your fitness goal if it has personal significance to you.
  • Time-bound: You won’t feel restless if you have a deadline for your fitness goal, and it will motivate you to keep on course and stay within the time frame.
• Focus on overall fitness
  When creating fitness goals, it’s easy to focus on things like how much weight you want to lift or how fast you want to run. Remember that fitness encompasses a wider range of activities than exercise. You should complement your training objectives with other healthy benchmarks, such as good eating habits, mental wellness, and other positive behaviours. Your entire quality of life will improve if you set a few objectives outside of the gym.
• Create fun workouts

You’ll be more motivated to exercise and keep your resolutions if you enjoy what you are doing. While some high-intensity activities may burn more calories in a single session, it will be more helpful to pick an activity that you’ll stick with for months to come. You can make getting into shape fun by doing a workout that interests you the most. Try learning something new — join a group session or enrol in a Pilates class — so you can find a routine that works best for you.

• Prepare your food
  To achieve your fitness objectives, you must also prep your body to achieve them. Meal preparation is one of the simplest methods to start eating well so that you won’t reach for a bad quick fix throughout a busy day. You’ll save time and avoid making compromising decisions if you take the time to cook your meals in advance.
• Resist temptation
  A radical lifestyle change may seem intimidating. Instead of attempting to avoid junk food, soda, desserts, and alcohol all at once, start by deciding on just one habit to give up. After you get used to life without indulgence, try giving up another one. You will be able to maintain a more stable attitude by slowly eliminating bad habits rather than abruptly quitting everything.
• Maintain a schedule
  If you want to learn how to stick to fitness goals better, you should master consistency. You’ll be more motivated to achieve your fitness objectives if you regularly go to the gym. Start by plotting your workout schedule each week or month. You are more likely to stick to your routine if you consciously set aside a specific time for exercise each day rather than fitting it into your hectic schedule at the last minute.
• Change your mindset
  If you typically think of exercise or eating healthy as necessary evils, change your mindset to see working out as an exciting journey and nutritious meals as a chance to provide your body with love and attention. Use them as a source of encouragement by concentrating on the small things you enjoy about exercising, such as your fitness coach or the happy hormones after a workout. After some repetition, your attitude will start to shift. Before long, you’ll anticipate going to the gym and enjoying a hearty meal afterward.
• Monitor your development

What is your exercise commitment and how will you keep it? Keeping fitness resolutions requires tracking your progress. It will give you the confidence to take it to the next level and give you a sense of accountability. You’ll be inspired to continue being devoted and to work harder. Get a fitness diary — a fitness app or an online spreadsheet — to record your daily activities or monitor your development. To make the most of your time at the gym, it’s helpful to take a moment to think back on each workout and identify any adjustments you should make to your program.

• Take it slowly
  Even though your great progress may inspire you to push harder, remember to pace yourself. Start slow and work your way up. You wouldn’t attempt to run 10 miles on your first day, would you? Doing too much too quickly will leave you sore, hurt, and disappointed. In your first week, you might only run a quarter of a mile. When that gets too easy for you, it’s time to increase the intensity and do something more challenging.
• Take time to rest
  Many New Year’s resolutions are abandoned because of exhaustion or injury from taking on too much. Whatever your initial level of enthusiasm, weariness and overuse injuries can soon drain your energy and cause you to stop exercising. To avoid burnout and injury, incorporate regular downtime into your weekly schedule. Make a sustainable and realistic fitness program, and pay attention to your body when it needs a break. On rest days, you can still get some exercise by taking a casual walk or practicing some meditative yoga.
• Treat yourself with kindness
  The secret to success is setting realistic fitness resolutions. You might be tempted to set one ambitious goal, such as finishing a marathon, but you should make sure your goals are practical, especially if you haven’t run before. Break up your larger goals into smaller ones that you can still accomplish given your schedule and available resources. Be patient with yourself as you pursue your fitness objectives. You are creating new habits, and it will take time for them to take root.

To prepare yourself for your 2023 fitness resolutions and maximize the results of your workout plan, treat yourself to massage therapy and physiotherapy in North York. Oriole Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre can help you improve bodily movement and restore physical capacity to give you a better feeling with every exercise. Call us at (416) 221-0772.