So. Another year over, and a new one just begun! I know that many of you out there have been going strong for the first few weeks of 2012, determined to make this year the year that you finally reach your New Year’s Fitness Resolution.
We here at Mac Fitness would like to propose a New Year’s Fitness REVOLUTION. This isn’t a resolution. In 2012, take no prisoners! Let nothing get in your way! Take charge of your health and fitness! Listen- it’s your body. No one is standing in your way. It’s time to revolt against the things that have kept you down in the past, reform the ways you’ve approached fitness goals in the past, and change your life for the healthier!
Here are some tips that will help.
1. Baby Steps.
Most of us are facing pretty large goals; maybe it’s to o lose 30 pounds, to start exercising every day, to finally stick to that new diet you’ve tried before, to get off of your blood pressure medication, or to wear a bikini on your vacation this summer. The list goes on and on…All of these are perfectly legitimate goals- they’re just too large in most cases. When you look up at a mountain from the ground, it can seem daunting, if not insurmountable. And if it’s a really large mountain, sometimes it’s hard to see the progress you make while climbing it. I’m not suggesting a smaller mountain- simply to break the mountain up, to give yourself guideposts along the way. Give yourself smaller goals that you can accomplish in a short amount of time, and then make a new goal. It’s so much easier to see the progress you’re making, and it helps to keep your outlook positive. If you accomplish a new goal every few weeks, that’s much more encouraging than waiting an entire year to meet your goal!
2. Track Your Progress
I never used to be a fan of writing down my workouts. And then I tried it. I’ve been a runner pretty much all of my life, and before I started keeping track of my workouts, just say to myself, “Ok, how far should I go today?” And inevitably the answer I came up with was, “Oh…I don’t know… 3 miles, I guess.” My endurance never improved, and I never got faster. Then I got a planner, and started writing down how far I went, and how fast. When the time came for my next run, how easy it was to say, “Oh, last time I ran 3 miles, this time I’ll try 3.5!” Within six months, I was considering training for a marathon!
But tracking your progress helps with all types of workouts. Like the elliptical? Keep track of how long long your workout is, and the resistance you used. Every week, aim to go a little longer, or add a little more resistance. The same with strength training. Write down the weight you used, and how many reps you’ve done. Next time, increase one or the other. Doing this helps keep your workouts challenging, which will help you not only in making changes in your body, but also help stave off boredom. And boredom is a big reason why people give up on their workout routines! Plus, it also helps you stay positive by presenting very clearly how much work you’ve done over time. If you run 5 miles per week, it may not seem like that much. But if you add it up over the span of a year, that’s 260 miles! Quite an accomplishment!
The best part is that it’s getting easier and easier to track workouts. If you have a smart phone, there are many awesome applications that help you record your workouts, and improve on past performances. And many of them are free! Check the Health and Fitness section of your App Store, and start tracking today!
More to follow…
Juli and her client Ben
