At the top of each year, one of the most popular resolutions involves fitness. Whether people are trying to lose weight, gain weight, or improve their overall health, fitness goals tend to gravitate toward the top of the list. While many people start with good intentions, they tend to fall off the fitness train. By February or March, they’re back to their old ways. If you’d like to make a shift and make 2021 your best fitness year yet, consider the following five tips before you begin.
1. Start with What You Enjoy
Consider the activities you enjoy. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, start by taking a walk or jog in the neighborhood. Start with two miles. If you’re someone who loves cardio dance workouts, find a new instructor on YouTube or a fitness app. As you associate fitness with fun and enjoyment, it’ll be easier to prioritize it into your schedule because it’s a source of pleasure.
2. Commit to Small Steps Daily
Financial experts often talk about the importance of investing early. Time is one of your most significant commodities, and supporting early leads to major wins because of the power of compound interest. When you consistently invest wisely, those small amounts will compound over a long period to provide significant results in the end. If you have a goal of running a 5K without stopping, consider where you are. If you don’t walk regularly, don’t try to take on the task of running a 5K by the following month. Instead, work up to it. Take small steps by walking first. Then, you can transition to walking mixed with jogging. As you improve, you can transition to jogging and running until you can run the entire 5K without stopping. This process can easily take a few months. Just commit to the smaller steps daily. Those fitness investments will provide a compound effect.
3. Develop a Support System
Even though so many people want to believe they don’t need validation and encouragement, it’s always nice to know that someone sees your hard work. It’s nice to feel like someone cares about your wins and is rooting for you. Many people need to work on goals and let their achievements speak independently silently. However, it’s helpful to have the right voices in your ear to help you continue on your journey. A physical trainer and a nutritionist can be immensely beneficial as you work to improve your overall fitness. In the process, don’t forget that it all starts with your mindset. A mental performance coach may help you develop the mindset you need to look at your goals and attack them with laser-like mental fortitude and precision. Once your mind is set on a plan, there’s nothing anyone can do to get in your way. A cognitive performance coach is a great professional to improve your fitness and any other area of your life.
4. Track Your Progress
When you have a goal to build a certain amount of muscle, it’s not uncommon to become impatient with the process. This is mainly because it takes time to build muscle. It also takes consistency. One of the best ways you can help yourself remain consistent is by tracking your progress. Take your measurements and pictures. At the end of each month, take new pictures and measurements with the same outfit and lighting. Keep all of your external variables the same to see any differences as time progresses. As you begin to see progress, it’ll be much easier to remain committed to the journey in the long haul.
5. Set Internal Fitness Goals
In addition to tracking your progress, do your best to avoid solely tracking external factors like the number on the scale or the dress size you drop. It’s also good to consider goals like endurance, flexibility and coordination. If you’re working on improving your skills in step aerobics, pay attention to how well you do during a workout. If you can’t make it through training without tripping over your feet, don’t give up. Just remain consistent until you’re able to step around the room with ease. If you can’t climb a staircase without feeling winded, begin implementing practical steps to help you build your endurance.
Don’t put a ton of pressure on yourself when you’re getting started. When the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, the date changed. However, your habits didn’t change. The only way to truly improve your fitness level is by committing to the process daily; you continue to show up each day and take small steps, you’ll get to the end of 2021 and realize that you’ve created a lifestyle’s conducive to your fitness goals.
