Working It Out In 2010!
A new year is here, in fact a new decade is here and everywhere I turn people are talking about their new year resolutions. I’m sure that as quickly as these new goals are being set they are be broken by a lot of people. It is not because they don’t want to achieve their goals it is usually because they just don’t know how or don’t realize they have the resources necessary to achieve them.
This is so true when it comes to health and fitness. How many people do you know say “I am going to finally lose weight this year” that is their new year resolution and after a week or two at the gym or going for walks and trying to eat healthier they have fallen off of the fitness kick and are feeling bad about themselves and all around discouraged? It doesn’t have to be with way. With a bit of guidance anyone can achieve their fitness goal this year, this month even this week.
The trick is setting goals.
Successful people know what they want from life. Their lives are characterized by a sense of passion, purpose and meaning. Research confirms the “vision thing.” Those who are certain about what they want to accomplish are up to SIX times more likely to successfully make life changes than those who are less certain. Conversely, those with conflicting goals, or those who are ambivalent about their goals, are significantly more likely to:
- Experience depression and anxiety
- Be less happy and less satisfied with their lives
- Have more physical illnesses and doctor’s visits
- Be indecisive, uncertain and rebellious
- Be easily distracted and procrastinate
- Spend more time thinking about their goals and
- Spend less time taking action toward their goals
(This information comes straight from my text NASM CPT text book)
So when you are thinking about your fitness and health goals I want you to get as specific as you can with them. What is your goal for today? Start there, is your goal to do 1 hour of exercise? Ok what kind of exercise? Cardio, sculpting, Pilates, Yoga…? Name that goal then go do it. What is your goal for the week? Is it to get in 5 days of working out? Ok which 5 days of the week are you going to get these workouts in on, what are you going to do on each day? If you are a very busy person, schedule in your workout time. Once it is in place don’t allow anything else to takes its place. What is your goal for the month? Is it to improve your run time? Run 5 miles instead of 3 miles? Lose 5lbs?
I think you see where I am going with this. The goal needs to be specific so that you can set up a plan of action. I want to point out that everyone has a bad day where they fall of the wagon, where you are just to tired to workout, or your child is sick and you are taking care of them or a big problem comes up at work and you miss your workout or end up ordering takeout food. IT IS OK! Let me repeat that IT IS OK!!!! Don’t beat yourself up over a small set back we all have them. Just jump back on it the following day.
As for the excuses:
I don’t have time: None of us have a bunch of free hours in our day, we MAKE TIME. If it is important to you, you will make time for it. Even if it is at 8pm and you would rather be sitting on the couch watching tv, what is more important. Also it does not have to be 1 hour straight. Do a little bit throughout the day.
I can’t afford a gym:I get this one gym memberships can be expensive but it is not necessary to have a gym membership to get a good workout. Go for a walk or run outside, purchase a few workout DVDs and alternate doing them. Buy a jump rope and a set of hand weights and you are good to go. Look for a group class these are usually a lot less expensive and you can do it once a week. You can even purchase a fitness magazine and do the exercises listed in there. Also if you have cable, Fit TV or Exercise TV are free and have workouts from some of the top trainers in the world.
I don’t know how to workout: once again reference the last excuse, DVDs, group classes, magazines and cable will all have ways to help you.
It’s a new year it is time to be the YOU that you want to be. It starts TODAY! Don’t put of till tomorrow what you can achieve today!
Take time this new year to sit down and really think about YOUR goals. Then write them down and put them somewhere that you can look at them every day. As you achieve them, mark them off of your list and then set new goals.
Good luck and Happy New Year!!!
