How to Make Your New Year's Fitness Resolutions Stick

Written by the BFR Shop team

The start of a new year often feels like a fresh start and the perfect time to turn a new page. People feel empowered to make positive changes and achieve new and improved versions of themselves. For this reason, they set a list of New Year's resolutions, many of which revolve around fitness or health goals. But new year's fitness resolutions are easier to make than to keep. While there's an initial spike in the number of people exercising in the first month, it seems almost inevitable that the majority fail at sticking to their fitness goals. By the end of March, many will have abandoned their resolve and settled back into their old patterns.

The problem is that we put too much pressure on ourselves by setting lofty goals and charging headlong into new year fitness resolutions, only to burn out in weeks or months or be disappointed when we don't see results. You don't have to fall into this category; there's a more effective approach to reaching your fitness goals. It just requires setting smart, achievable goals, having a little patience, and changing your attitude. There are even fitness tools and devices like blood flow restriction bands and resistance bands to improve performance, reduce injury, and offer more exercise options.

Tips for Creating Fitness Goals

Setting new year fitness goals allows you to identify where you want to be so you can create a plan for getting there. Fitness goals can be a source of motivation, but they can set you up for failure if they are not well designed. Here are a few fitness tips to help you set up an effective new year fitness plan that will succeed.

Incorporate SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, And Time-Bound) Goals

One of the reasons you fail at your new year's fitness resolutions is because you created the wrong resolution. Maybe your fitness goals are too vague, or perhaps all you're doing is what someone or society is telling you to change. Do you even have a realistic plan for achieving said goals? This is where creating SMART goals comes in.

Your goal should be clear. For example, rather than saying you want to exercise more, say you'll be exercising three times a week for the next two months.

Secondly, your goal should be quantifiable so you can gauge whether or not you're meeting them. For example, "I want to lose weight" is too vague, while losing 10 pounds in six weeks is a measurable goal that you can track.

It goes without saying that the goals should be achievable. Wanting to do 1,000 push-ups per day when you've never exercised before sounds like you're setting yourself up for failure.

Your fitness goals should also pertain to you and be tailored to your health, lifestyle, and fitness needs.

And finally, set a deadline or a time frame for achieving a specific goal, so you're motivated to start.

Set Goals to Improve Quality of Life, Not Just Strength

Many fitness goals focus on just losing weight and looking good. Although these are reasonable goals, they often miss out on taking care of the overall body, which allows these changes to occur. As you start incorporating your new year workout routines into your lifestyle, it's equally important to take care of your general health to improve your overall quality of life. This means getting quality sleep, eating nutritiously, and maintaining your mental health.

Make Fitness Fun - Pick Something You Enjoy Doing

If you like and enjoy what you're doing, you're more likely to stick with it long-term. When exercise is something that you dread, it won't be long before you give up on it. So, make it fun by doing routines that you love. From spin classes to dance classes, Pilates, yoga, etc., many fun activities are also very effective at getting you in shape. Listening to music or your favorite podcast can also be another way to stay motivated to exercise.

Importance of Getting Proper Rest

We are told to get regular exercise, but more isn't always better. Rest days are just as important as exercise as they allow the body to repair and recover. Skipping will lead to overtraining, burnout, and possible injuries.

Six Fitness Resolution Ideas You Can Stick To

Many people name fitness as their number one New Year's resolution, but sticking to this resolution is a whole challenge on its own. With that in mind, here are some of the basic fitness resolution ideas you can stick with to ensure success:

• Choose a workout you enjoy and try new ones as well to stay motivated.
• Download a fitness app so you can take your workout routines anywhere, anytime
• Don't weigh yourself
• Avoid dieting as it isn't sustainable
• Make small changes: Avoid changing too much too quickly as that will only set you up for failure. At the beginning of your journey, you should break your fitness goals into a series of small, specific, and, most importantly, realistic fitness goals.
• Change your attitude. Fitness and exercise are not a goal but rather a lifestyle. So, stop looking at it as a means of having a bikini body.

6 Tips to Help You Reach Your New Year's Fitness Goals

1. Plan Ahead

Before you begin your fitness journey, make a plan for when you will exercise, how long you will exercise, and what type of exercises you will do. Also, outline how you will deal with the temptation to skip exercise.

2. Be Realistic

One of the problems with the new year fitness plan is it can be extremely impractical. It's great to set goals but ensure they are realistic and achievable. Be sure to start small and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your new year workout routines. For example, you can begin by attending a yoga class held twice a week. Once you get into the habit of it, slowly add more classes or start other activities such as spin classes, Pilates, or HIIT exercises.

3. Workout Buddy

Exercising daily or regularly is no walk in the park. This is why you need an exercise partner to provide you with the support system you need to be successful and keep you accountable.

4. Track Progress

It can be easy to give up when you don't see immediate results. But the truth is your body takes time to adjust to the new year's workout routines and eating habits, so it may be several weeks before you can see tangible results. By keeping track of each small success, you'll be motivated to fulfill all your personal fitness goals.

5. Personal Trainer

These are trained individuals capable of assisting and facilitating those exercise and physical fitness goals into becoming a reality. A personal trainer will keep you motivated, offer the right exercise regime for you, and ensure you're doing the exercise correctly, which can help prevent injury. They will also introduce you to new ideas to keep things exciting and fresh.

6. Stick to It

There's no better way to say this, but consistency is key. Leading an active life and becoming fit will not happen overnight. Your body and mind will need time to adjust to these new routines, so just keep exercising.

Conclusion

Creating a new year fitness plan and sticking to it is hard. Several things can get in the way of your personal fitness goals, no matter how strong your intentions are, from work, family, school, and other responsibilities. But if you follow the above new year fitness tips, you can rest assured that you're on your way to success. At BFR Bands, we make your workout sessions even more impactful with our body bands and resistance bands that makes it even easier to tone up and knock out those fitness goals.