How To Keep Your New Year�s Resolutions

The holiday blues are starting to set in, and you can’t get away with finishing the 12 pack of mince pies without getting disapproving looks. It’s time to get your lifestyle and fitness organised for the year ahead, but this is the easiest part.

The tricky part of the bargain comes when you actually have to live up to your aspiring New Year’s resolutions. Enhancing your body’s fitness may sound simple enough but the temptations of junk food, computer games and your favourite TV show are all things that could have you loping back to the couch by mid-February, munching pizza from a greasy box whilst mid-marathoning a new series.

So, how can you stay true to your best intentions? These top tips will help you keep your healthy New Year’s resolutions:

• Don’t be over-ambitious – Your New Year’s resolutions may aspire to improve the condition of your body but that doesn’t mean things are going to change overnight. If you’re an absolute fitness beginner looking to lose a few excess pounds, then trying to run a marathon from scratch is likely to prove a bridge too far. Instead, keep things in perspective by aiming for small steps forward rather than big, stuttering strides. Building a better body requires time and hard work so take things fairly easy when starting out, otherwise you might be tempted to cancel that new gym membership and return to the bad old days when the closest thing you ever got to exercise was watching sports on TV.
• Set yourself fitness goals – If you’re serious about conquering your New Year’s resolutions, it’s essential you give yourself goals to measure your steady progress. Setting goals and deadlines will give your fitness plan a proper structure and keep you on the right track towards further advancement.
• Get support from friends and family – Sticking to your fitness goals is hard enough at the best of times but doing it all on your own is going to prove an uphill struggle. In light of this, try and get your friends and family onboard to support your training, by offering you encouragement and positive criticism throughout your exercise. With strong emotional backing to support you, the effort of training will soon become much less of a chore.
• Create a manifesto – We’re not talking Karl Marx here, but drawing up a manifesto that outlines your training plans and goals could really help you stay focused on those healthy New Year’s resolutions. By writing down your promises and pinning them to the wall, you’ll have no excuses not to live up to your original pledges. Time to get scribbling.
• Reward yourself for completing goals – Just because you’re trying to live up to some healthy New Year’s resolutions doesn’t mean you have to completely avoid enjoying the odd tasty treat. When you’ve completed a fitness goal, why not reward yourself with that slice of chocolate cake you’ve been putting off for weeks? By promising yourself regular (but not too regular!) rewards, you’ll soon feel more motivated to stay on course for better fitness. Moderation is key to maintaining a good physique.

Trying to keep your health-conscious New Year’s resolutions doesn’t have to be so difficult. In fact, by taking a few easy steps, motivating yourself to stay on track can actually be a positive and worthwhile experience in itself, bringing you closer to your family and friends whilst instilling a newfound sense of self-worth. It may be a struggle in the early days, but persevere and you’ll get the healthy body you crave eventually!