Reinvigorating Your New Year's Resolution:

6 STEPS TO KEEPING YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

A Cozy Home Fitness Advice Piece

We're well into February by the time I post this and even as I write this early into the month I see less and less people at the gym I work at and see less and less update posts online about new year fitness goals. It's a natural thing; we start the year excited and fresh- totally ready to make a big change in our lives for the better. And in a month we make some good changes. However, for most people (me included) we tend to drop off in February and March. Maybe we tried too many changes at the same time or tried to work too hard to keep up. Whatever the hitch, we're in the same boat.

To help you work your way to these goals let's reassess them.

Step 1: What was your goal? This is super straightforward, but sometimes we don't actually set clear goals. Let's go back and see what the actual end goal is and if we can refine or make it clearer.

Step 2: How attainable is it within our timeline? In this case, we usually are trying to make a change within a year which gives us lots of room to change. However, sometimes we force crazy quick timelines on our goals for little to no reason. To help here are some general timeline guides: Usually it's healthy for a person to lose around 1-2lbs a week, granted it's not always guaranteed. I like to go easy on clients' minds and say let's try for .5lb/week and look at the month total so 2lb in a four-week month or even better 12lb in 6 months. It's very attainable with consistent work and gives room for learning curves or a very off week here or there. On top of that, many people who have a lot of excess fat or lead very sedentary lives can lose more than this in the timeline given so they can feel even more proud of their work when they check in. I also like to make long term goals, think 6 months to start to see real results at the very least if you're looking for lasting change with no constraints. Obviously, we work differently and make different goals if there's a specific date they want to change by, and we work to make a realistic goal for that timeline. Tangent aside, looking for lasting change in 6 months or a year gives you room to stumble, adjust and find your rhythm. 

Step 3: What led you to dropping off? Was it hard to fit in your schedule? Did you do workouts you didn't enjoy at all? Did you go to a gym you didn't like or with the wrong workout buddy? Or maybe you worked out alone and wish you had someone to work with. Look at what wasn't working so we can make a couple adjustments. Remember that being uncomfortable can help but we don't want to be overwhelmed with it either. It's hard to find the right balance but with practice it'll get better.

Step 4: What worked well towards your goal last month? How did you get yourself motivated? What workouts did you enjoy? Look at the positives from last month and find ways to apply that to the rest of this month and the rest of the year. This will help you stick to it better. Feel free to do this every month!

Step 5: Make necessary adjustments. Did you have too strict a timeline? Not a clear goal or even a goal you don't fully want anymore? Change your goals to fit your needs now- don't go too easy on yourself but make sure it's not going to lead to burnout.

Step 6: Make a plan. Schedule your workouts if you need, find new exercises to try, sell gear you don't or can't use to get gear you like. Or go gearless, I use relatively minimal gear to keep in budget and to keep my space clear. Find a place to exercise, clear a corner of the living room or bedroom and designate it your workout space. Look for a gym if that's your vibe or look for multiple gym trials to see which gym works best for you. Add in a new stretching or cool down session. Make a relatively clear plan and follow it for the rest of the month at the very least. See how it works. We can always change our plans and work towards the same goal.

I hope this helps you get closer to your goals. February doesn't have to be the end of striving for a healthier life. Even if we work slowly towards it, we're still working towards it. Don't let a month-long break keep you from working towards the goal. You can always start back up.

XOXO

Cozy Home Fitness