6 Tips for Actually Keeping Your Fitness Resolution in 2019

When a new year begins, so many East Texans look ahead with hope and fresh energy. We want the year ahead to be better than the one before. We want to leave behind the things that are wasting our time, sapping our energy and making us feel guilty. So, we make resolutions. However, they can be hard to keep. Check out these tips for keeping your fitness resolutions in 2019. Also, let us know in the comments what you’ve resolved to do!

Recognize You’re Not Alone

Statista took a poll last year to find out what people resolved to do in 2018. At the top of the list was eating healthier and getting more exercise. Respondents also said they wanted to save more money, take better care of themselves, read more, learn a new skill or find a different job.

If you have fitness goals for 2019, there’s a good chance someone close to you has similar goals. Reach out at the gym or on social media and find out what others are planning so you can offer accountability and encouragement.

Just Make One Resolution

Don’t resolve to learn to speak Mandarin, take up skeet shooting, stop swearing, clean the house twice a week, lose 40 pounds and completely give up caffeine. Pick one thing. When you try to achieve too much, your chances of success go down.

Keep Resolutions Simple and Specific

If you make a vague resolution to “lose weight” or “exercise more,” how will you know when you have achieved it? Also, if your resolution involves a lot of steps or a huge time commitment, your chances of keeping it begin to fall.

Sit down and write out what you plan. Envision what it looks like on a daily or weekly basis. For example, your goal might be to attend a Les Mills or Jazzercise class three days a week or to consume below a (reasonable) set number of calories per day.

Plan for Problems

Once you set your goals, think through all the potential obstacles. If you always mean to go to the gym after work but you seldom do, ask yourself why. If you’re hungry, could you pack a snack? If you let yourself make excuses, could signing up for sessions with a personal trainer make you more accountable?

If you haven’t been meeting your nutrition and fitness goals, there are reasons. Those reasons won’t go away just because the calendar changes over to a new year. Give yourself the best chance of success by identifying problems and planning a way around them.

Think Short Term

Don’t just make a resolution for all of 2019. Break your goals and plan into steps. Make each part specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based (SMART). Measure frequently and give yourself a reward at each benchmark.

If you have a setback, don’t give up. Instead, get right back on track.

Go Public

It’s easier to let your fitness and nutrition goals fall by the wayside if you’re the only one who knows about them. Your friends and family members want you to be your best. Why not ask them for their support? An occasional encouraging text or supportive comment might be just what helps you stay on track.