Hey loves,
Today’s blog post is about how to create and stick to your fitness new year resolution! In this blog post, I go over what a resolution is, why it’s important to make them, types of New Year’s resolutions, how to set them and finally, how to stick to them!
What is a New Year’s Resolution?
A New Year’s resolution is a promise that you make to yourself at the beginning of the new year. You can either stop doing something or begin to do something else.
For instance, one’s New Year’s resolution can be to begin walking every day.
How do you Make a New Year’s Resolution?
First, you have to figure out what you want to accomplish in terms of your health and fitness this coming year.
Then, you have to make sure that your goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).
After that, make sure that you set realistic goals. You then have to break down your goals into smaller goals and then into actionable daily steps.
So let us say for instance that you want to lose 5 kilograms by the end of the year, you would then break it down into daily steps of going to the gym to do cardio and weight lifting and eating a calorie-reduced diet.
Sticking to this plan for a year will allow you to accomplish your goal of losing 5kg by the end of the year.
Check out my previous post on how to create habits!
Tools that you can use to help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions:
- Consistency
- Small steps
- Track goals
- Focus on daily habits instead of end results
- Find an accountability buddy or join a group
- Reward every accomplishment
Why is it Important to Make Them?
Having goals gives us a sense of direction and purpose. A New Year’s resolution is a goal that is created during the start of the year to give our year purpose and meaning.
Types of Fitness New Year’s Resolutions
- Take care of mental health
- Nurture relationships
- Sleep better
- Eat healthier
- Lose fat
- Gain muscle
- Get stronger
- Order less take-out
- Move more often
- Limit or stop alcohol intake
- Limit or stop sugar intake
How to achieve them:
Take care of mental health:
Invest in mental health coaching or therapy, meditation, and learn the develop a self-compassionate inner dialogue.
Nurture relationships:
Prioritize having face time with your loved ones or friends. Pour time, effort and love into the relationships that matter and you will see them grow and flourish!
Sleep better:
Sleep in a cool, dark, and distraction-free room. Make sure to not use your phone or any screens before you rest.
Eat healthier:
Aim to eat in healthier foods in moderation. These include unprocessed Whole Foods. Vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates and protein sources are your friend.
Lose fat:
Eat at a calorie deficit. Use this calculator to calculate what your fat loss intake would be.
Gain muscle:
Eat at a calorie surplus. Use this calculator and guide to determine your bulking requirements.
Get stronger:
Lift a weight that is challenging for reps of 1-6. You can aim to get stronger at a particular lift like the deadlift and slowly increase the weight you lift until the reps feel challenging to you.
The best way to do this is to keep track of your weights on a journal.
Order less take-out:
You can start by deleting your delivery apps. Another tip is to start buying fresh groceries in advance so that you’re more incentivized to cook.
Move more often:
Take a movement break every hour. You can perform squats for 1-2 minutes near your desk, stretch or simply walk around.
Using the stairs is also a great way of staying fit as well as parking your car a bit further from the entrance of your job or mall/outing destination.
Limit or stop alcohol intake:
Simply do not purchase any alcohol, make sure to also limit social situations where alcohol will be present. If you must have a glass, limit to 1-2 glasses twice a week or on occasion.
Limit or stop sugar intake:
Simply do not buy any sugary foods and learn to practice boundaries/refusing food in social situations where sugary foods will be present.
If you must partake in the indulgences, take a small piece or a few bites of your sugary indulgence.
How to Set a New Year’s Resolution
Setting a New Year’s resolution comes down to having a clear idea of what you want to achieve this year. It means setting aside time to come up with whatever sparks passion into your heart or can be rewarding.
You then have to fine tune your goal to be SMART and realistic, break it down into daily tasks and achieve those steps daily.
How to Stick to a New Year’s Resolution
The best way to stick to a New Year’s resolution is to have somebody hold you accountable and have a support system to keep you on track.
In conclusion, a New Year’s resolution is a promise that we make ourselves at the beginning of the new year, it is important because it allows us to set and achieve our desired outcomes, types or resolutions include losing fat or gaining muscle.
Sticking to our goals essentially comes down to executing our plan properly and having a support system set in place.
I hope that you enjoyed this blog post on How to Create and Stick to Your Fitness New Year Resolution, please let me know what you thought about it in the comments section below!
Sources:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/new-years-resolutions-guide/
https://www.loyolamedicine.org/newsroom/blog-articles/new-years-fitness-resolutions
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