How to Keep Your New Years Resolutions
- January 3, 2020
The holidays are over, and the new year has begun! For many of us, the start of a new year includes a daunting (and exciting!) list of resolutions that we hope to achieve during the next trip around the sun. One of the most common New Years Resolutions is to exercise more – an excellent goal! Our Physical Therapists at Allied Health Solutions hope to share some tips and tricks to make sure that you don’t end up becoming one of the resolution-ers who have abandoned their exercise goals by the end of February. Here are a few ways to motivate yourself to exercise:
1. Have a “Game Plan”
As the saying goes “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Take out the daily guesswork for yourself and create an extensive exercise plan…write it down! Your physical therapists at AHS can help, or the internet is a great resource. While making your plan, consider an obstacles that may detour you from going to the gym. Its all too easy to put your new routine on the “back burner” when life gets busy…address them in advance!
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”
2. Envision your workout completed
It’s easy to become overwhelmed and intimidated by exercise when thinking about the unpleasant beginning of a workout. Often, the hardest part of any workout is getting yourself to the gym and in the door. Instead of imagining how dreadful the first 10 minutes of your exercise will be, try picturing how accomplished you feel after a run, the relief you get from a good stretching session, or how strong you feel when you increase the weights during resistance training. In general, try to remember how great you feel when you’re making progress toward your goals.
3. Pump-up playlist
The right music can motivate you to do just about anything. Take the time to create a playlist that gets you excited to move! Research has shown that songs from happy times in your life can help you feel happier even while experiencing difficult things (like exercise!).
4. Make it a game
For you, a giant calendar and big red “X”s may be how you visualize your accomplishments. It could mean competing with your friends for the highest daily number of steps with your Fitbit. It could be earning that free month of membership for doing your gym’s scavenger hunt activity. Whatever it is that brings out your inner competitor, it could make all the difference when it comes to sticking to your exercise resolution.
Keep your goals realistic and be persistent! Track your progress and reward yourself along the way! You’ve already taken steps towards becoming a healthier you. Ask your Therapists at AHS to demonstrate movements or explain machines that seem intimidating in the gym, or have them evaluate your technique. We are here to help and we want the happiest, healthiest you in 2020!
