Making Fitness Resolutions Stick

Yes, you can - making fitness resolutions stick


It's at this time of the year - with laidback January behind us - that resolutions to get fitter can come unstuck. It's one thing to pledge to regular walking, running, swimming or gym-ing when the pressure is off, but it gets harder when work schedules get a grip.

Motivation is the glue that makes resolutions stick, but where do you get it? Once you begin to feel the results of regular exercise, like more energy and a leaner waist, you grow an inner drive that keeps you going. But in the early weeks while you're building an exercise habit, staying motivated isn't easy. You need strategies to kick you along - like linking the benefits of working out to something that means a lot to you. That 'something' is different for everyone. If your blood pressure is creeping up, it could be reminding yourself that each 30 minute walk is helping to lower it. It could be wanting to be fit enough to do some adventure travel or be more active with your kids. For me, it's vanity that works - it's not the only reason I put in exercise time, but it's the one that boots me out the door when a voice in my head tells me it's too hot, too cold, or I'm too busy.

When last week's workload derailed plans to get to the gym, it was a new denim skirt that talked me into going for a jog at dusk instead. Bought in a sale the week before, this skirt is a perfect fit - just. A 30 minute run, I reminded myself, would keep it that way. But along with your own Meaningful Reason, it helps to:

Set a concrete goal. Losing weight or getting fitter are worthy goals. But they're vague. Find something solid and measurable to aim for like: in a month's time I want to be walking for 30 minutes five days a week; or in 10 weeks time I want to be able to jog for 20 minutes. If you break up your big goal into little goals, you can tick them off as you meet them - e.g. in two weeks time I want to jog for 5 minutes without stopping; in four weeks time I want to jog for 10 minutes without stopping, and so on. If you need a stronger commitment, sign up for a community run or walk - and get the buzz of crossing a real finishing line too. Running to raise money for a cause creates an even bigger commitment.

Talk yourself into exercise - not out of it. . It's easy to talk yourself out of exercise (you're too busy/too tired to exercise; it's too hot, too cold.), so learn to talk yourself into it. Remind yourself how energised you'll feel after a walk; remember your goal -or remember your Meaningful Reason.

Have a quickie - and give it all you've got. If you only have 20 minutes - or even 15 minutes - to exercise instead of 30 minutes or an hour, grab it and really use it. Go for a really brisk walk or jog/walk; include a hill or two; find a set of stairs and run up them or go up them two at a time.

Don't be hard on yourself if you skip an exercise session. Some people have an all or nothing approach to both exercise and eating. They feel if they slip up and eat the wrong thing, or miss a day or two's exercise, they've blown everything. Missing a regular walk - like eating a fat piece of cake - is a hiccup, not a disaster. If you miss a day, start again tomorrow.