Fitness Resolutions - Tips for Success
If there’s an underlying theme to these Five Tips by Aberfeldy Recreation Centre, it’s that fitness is like most other goals worth pursuing. Resolving to be fit is important, but it’s also important to have a reasonable plan, to have good information about how to get started and succeed, to make sure that your goals are achievable and reasonable, and to stick with it over the long run.
With this approach, short-term setbacks won’t cause long-term failure. It’s never too late to start again - and start right, so.... |
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Relax
“It is the journey, not the destination.” Remember that fitness is a continuous pursuit. You have the rest of your life to improve it, not just this winter or before swimsuit season starts. The goal is to improve a little bit every day, not to go from couch potato to triathlete in three weeks.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself or you’ll set yourself up for frustration, physical injury and failure.
Research
Give some forethought to your fitness approach. Many fling themselves into running or working with equipment without thinking if they really like it or if it is right for their needs.
Find something you like to do, because you’re much more likely to stick with it if you do.
Collect information about your body, things like body weight, heart rate, body fat content, and aerobic capacity before you start. As well, knowing how the body responds to food and exercise is critical to your success.
Reach Short Term Goals
Know where you’re at to begin with so you can decide where you want to go. List some achievable, measurable or specific targets by which to track your progress. A fitness instructor is great for helping you determine what these goals should be.
Remember that a complete fitness program should incorporate fitness, nutrition and education for optimum results. Your fitness program should also be a balance of cardiovascular, strength and flexibility conditioning, with a greater focus on the one that is most closely related to your individual goals.
Reality Check
Many fitness resolutions are too aggressive or even impossible. Be realistic. If you’ve been sedentary for years, a walk around the block one day may equal success. Good fitness is gradual, measured improvement.
No matter what the ads say, you’re not going to have perfect abs or the body you had 20 years ago in ten minutes a day. If you think you will, you’re bound to fail.
Review
Know that you’ll have to make adjustments and course corrections along the way. Track your progress and listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t force it.
If you start running and it bores you to tears, or if you experience undue discomfort, try something else, reduce your intensity, increase your duration, or mix activities to keep the interest level high and utilise different muscle groups.
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