Resolutions for Fitness Success
It takes more than a New Year’s resolution to create successful,
long-term changes in behavior. Your New Year’s resolutions are
most likely to become a new way of life if you spend some time
thinking about how you will reach your resolution goals. Research
has shown that people who take some time to make a concrete plan
and anticipate possible difficulties are more likely to stick to
their New Year’s resolutions.
Physical Activity Is The Foundation
Regular physical activity is an essential component of any weight-loss program.
Exercisers also have twice the success in trying to quit smoking as do their
sedentary friends. Physical activity reduces feelings of stress, and increases
feelings of energy and control. Regular physical activity has enormous fringe
benefits, including better health and greater vitality.
Make Your Health And Well-Being A Priority
Many people find they put their own needs on hold to take care of matters at
work, at home and in their communities. They take their health for granted,
until it isn’t there. Why wait to get sick to start taking care of yourself?
By exercising and eating well now, you may save yourself hours (even years)
of sick time in the future.
Change For The Right Reasons
The right reasons to change your lifestyle are positive, and based on the belief
that you deserve a little time each day to keep yourself healthy. When you
take a little time to nurture yourself, you will have more to give your family,
your work and community. Wrong reasons focus on self-blame and guilt, and
lead to low self-esteem and negative feelings. They make you feel bad, and
when you feel bad you lose the motivation to exercise, or to follow through
with other actions to improve your health.
Prepare For Change
Change is not always comfortable or easy. Adding physical activity to your
life requires both time and energy. Where will the time come from? How will
you summon the energy? Make a concrete plan for fitting exercise into your
life, then take a critical look at your plan. Is it realistic? People beginning
the new year often overestimate their powers, and underestimate the time
and energy to stick to their resolutions. If your goals are too unrealistic
(you probably won’t lose 30 pounds in 30 days), you will quickly be disappointed.
Set attainable goals. For example, many experts recommend that instead of
a weight-loss goal, make your goal the lifestyle change it-self; enjoying
daily physical activity and eating less junk. If you are successful in achieving
these daily goals, the weight loss will gradually follow. You may wish to
get some help as you prepare for change. Find out about opportunities for
physical activity in your community and at work. Consider taking an exercise
class, joining a fitness center or working with a personal trainer. Ask a
friend or family member with similar interests to join you. If you have health
concerns, talk to your health care provider before increasing your level
of vigorous physical activity.
Anticipate Difficulties
Make plans to get back into your program when it is interrupted by illness,
travel, weather or the million other details that arise. Remember, it’s not
a question of whether you will have to skip an exercise session, but a question
of what you will do when this happens----everyone misses a workout from time
to time. What are the reasons that have kept you from exercising in the past?
How did you respond? Are there ways to keep these difficulties from arising?
If you stop exercising for some reason, how will you get back into your exercise
routine as soon as possible?
Get Moving!
If exercise is new to you, start slowly and build gradually. Record your workouts
in an exercise log, and be proud of your progress. Enjoy the way exercise
gives you energy and reduces stress. From time to time, consider what’s working
and what’s not working with your exercise routine. Do everything you can
to make regular physical activity a lifelong habit.
Fitness Management
December 2004 issue
|
