One step at a time: Fitness gurus on how to make New Year's Resolutions stick
Fitness and health influencers share their tips on sticking to your New Year's goals
A new year brings with it the idea of a fresh start, giving us hope about what may be in store. It is no wonder so many of us begin the year with resolutions, including taking steps to boost our physical and mental health.
We asked four health influencers for their top tips on how to make sure you are setting healthy goals for yourself and how to help you stick to your resolution all year long.
I'm sticking with a resolution from last year, which was to conquer a handstand. I'm not disheartened by the fact that I didn't get it so that's still a goal to work on. I would also like to get back to running a 10k.
Many people tend to set an end date that is just not doable and puts unnecessary pressure on them. Then, when they don't achieve it, they become disheartened, throw in the towel, and don't revisit it.
When you sit down to plan your week, revisit your goals and maybe set some mini-goals to keep you motivated.
What is key is not to look at failures as roadblocks but instead as obstacles to overcome. Don't let it prevent you from reaching your goal. Take a look back and identify why this has not worked for you and then try a different system that might work better for your individual preferences and needs.
I don't keep New Year's resolutions. Whenever I need to change, I make a change there and then. I don't wait until January 1.
Do not make too many changes too soon. So many people fall off track because they go from never working out to trying to work out five, six or seven days a week. If somebody goes to the gym two or three times a week, starts going for a walk some evenings, or makes healthier food choices, they are much more likely to stick with it. To go all or nothing is the biggest mistake people make in January
For those who feel they have over-indulged over Christmas, I would say it was two weeks out of the 52 - that's 4% of your year. You can only do so much damage in two weeks. If your battery was at 96% you wouldn't freak out, so don't freak out.
I will spend much more time at home with my family. With being out with the fire brigade and the gym being so manic, I've missed a few little key moments this year and it won't be happening again next year.
New year does not have to mean a new me or even an improved me. All that's required is a few small changes to enhance your life and improve your health. Increasing your daily steps is a good place to start. Ignore the 10,000 daily steps stuff. What we say is to do 20% on top of what you are already doing. If you are doing 2,000 steps per day, try adding another 500 or 700 steps if possible. Moving around a little more can be massively beneficial to your overall health.
New year is different for everybody. If you can look after the fundamentals, that's the most important thing. Can you reduce the stress in your life?
Sleep is probably the biggest thing that we can drive home. The other thing is to increase your water intake. There is no point in having a rigorous exercise regimen unless you have these fundamentals nailed down.
Just two: to be happier and healthier.
Rather than fixating on calorie counting or the numbers on a scale, you should focus on the things that will benefit your overall health and quality of life.
Think about breathing and exercise tolerance, resting heart rate, and energy levels. These are the simple pointers that can be impacted by diet and exercise.
Steer clear of fad and extreme diets - these are unsustainable for the majority of people. You could end up harming your vital organs and driving up your cholesterol levels. I tell patients to focus on adding some good stuff to their diets instead of cutting things out completely. It should be a marathon, not a sprint.
Most importantly, don't be too hard on yourself. Remember you got through Covid and the lockdowns. You can do this.
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