Have you already given up on your New Year's health and fitness resolutions?
Remember that setbacks, obstacles, and challenges are necessary in order to progress and move forward. Change is inevitable, growth is optional. Failure only happens when you stay down and don’t learn from these setbacks and obstacles.
Now get up, brush yourself off, and follow these guidelines to get your self back on track.
New year vs. same you
Many of us rely on the changing of the calendar to make a change. We all know however, that whether the clock strikes midnight, or it is Monday on the calendar, that nothing changes unless we change. The change must start with our mindset.
“The way we see things change, when we change the way, we see things,” said Wayne Dyer.
The year has 365 days, just because you faced some challenges and obstacles on Day 12 or Day 24, shouldn’t mean you should give up – you still have hundreds of days left in the year.
Think of it this way, imagine you were going on a road trip and a few hours into the drive, you get a flat tire. Would you sabotage the rest of the trip by flattening the other three tires? No! You would take some time, fix the one tire, and even take a detour if necessary, but you would keep going.
Focus on the new you instead of the new year. Get up and let’s go!
Organize your day to organize your life
Plan your month to plan your week to plan your day. Let’s minimize any obstacles and setbacks that may arise by being ready.
- Pack your gym bag the night before and leave it by the door
- Leave an extra pair of socks, deodorant, and shoes in your vehicle
- Meal prep on Sunday
- Have healthy snacks ready to go in Tupperware or Ziplock containers
- Find an accountability partner
- Find and join a fitness community
- Download a fitness app to keep you on track, challenged and accountable
- Schedule your workout, and keep that appointment with yourself.
- Hire a personal trainer
- Join a group fitness class
- Set up a vision board to remind you of your goals and your “why.”
- Join an online fitness program with an active community
- Take before and after pictures and body measurements
- Remember that 30 minutes a day is all you need
- Find one unhealthy habit to change every month, or every three months
Work out
Just get moving. As mentioned earlier, you only need 30 minutes a day to make a significant difference. You don’t have to be great or fit to get started, but you need to get started to become great or fit. If you can’t afford a personal trainer or gym membership, design your own fitness program using the FITT principle:
Frequency: Aim for at least three 30-minute workouts a week. During those 30 minutes, focus on resistance training exercises like squats, sit ups, and push ups, and add in cardiovascular training like walking, biking, swimming, skipping, and jogging. Finish up with some flexibility/mobility movements, AKA stretching.
Intensity: Aim to elevate your heart rate for those 30 minutes. It doesn’t have to be extreme, but it does have to be above your resting heart rate. A High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program is one of the most effective and efficient workouts that someone at any fitness level can get started with. That being said, please speak to your doctor if you have any concerns or any pre-existing medical conditions.
Type: The key to sticking to your fitness goals is to find an activity you enjoy. Do you like walking with the family, skating or cross-country skiing? Do you get a kick out of Yoga, Zumba, swimming or weight training? Finding something you enjoy will help get you started and keep you consistent. When you are ready, feel free to try something new to challenge the body and to keep your motivation and movements fresh.
Time: As mentioned above, all you need is two to three days per day of 30 minutes a day of physical activity. If you don’t have 30 consecutive minutes in a day, then split it up into increments. Take the first five minutes in the morning when you wake up to do a light and dynamic stretch/warm up. Take another 10 to 15 minutes at lunch to go for a walk and maybe add some resistance training. Take another five minutes mid-afternoon for another walk/stretch. Take five to 10 minutes before or after dinner to do a plank, wall sit, or push ups and lunges. Finally, take five minutes before bed to stretch, meditate and cool down. No matter how busy we are, we can all find 30 minutes somewhere in the day.
The last few years have been challenging for everyone. It’s time we start working on ourselves to focus on our health and fitness to get through this year and come out of this pandemic better than what we were when it started. Start NOW – Focus on the New you, Organize yourself, and Workout!
Jay Raymundo is the owner of NRG Fitness Inc., as well as a personal trainer for the City of Airdrie, the co-owner of F45 Training in Airdrie, and the strength and conditioning coach for the Airdrie Martial Arts Centre.
