With a new year brings with it a whole fresh set of goals, but once the festivities are over and the cold and dull month of January begins, it can be difficult to maintain that motivation and determination you started the new year with.
But the first step to reaching where you want your fitness to be is by setting your own personal goals, which can often be the hardest part. But here you are! You have set your goals and know what it is that you are aiming for.
So, here is our guide on how to stay on track and some tips on how you can achieve your desired results.
Contents
Staying motivated
Staying motivated when it comes to fitness is no easy task and leaving your warm home to head out to a gym session on a cold and bleak January evening takes real determination. Therefore, we recommend that you consider how you are going to stay motivated in advance.
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to have it clear in your mind why you have set these new year fitness goals and remind yourself of why it is so important to you. Write down what it is you want to achieve and why and look back at these when your motivation starts to waver.
This could be anything from fitting into an old pair of jeans to more health-based reasons such as wanting to lower your BMI and maintain a healthy weight.
Get the correct equipment
Having the right tools and equipment will help you to stay on track and make achieving your fitness goals a whole lot easier. This is not only because it will make your physical activity more effective, but it will also help you to feel more motivated and keep you in the zone.
Foam rolling can be an effective addition to your warm-up or cool-down activities, as it can help to relieve inflammation, muscle soreness, and increase flexibility. The added benefits that a foam roller can bring to your new year fitness journey can make it easier for you to stay on track.
Failing to have the correct equipment can be damaging to your physical health as exercising without taking the right care of your body can have serious consequences. Therefore, we suggest that you invest in equipment such as a massage gun to help ease tension and improve posture following a workout.
With more of us spending more time indoors than ever before, it is important that you can experience all the benefits of massage therapy from the comfort of your own home. Taking care of yourself will help you to avoid any injuries or pain caused by exercise, which could lead you to give up on your fitness goals altogether.
Think about calorie intake
As part of your new year fitness goals, you may have also included your desire to shift some of those extra pounds that creep on over the Christmas season, and controlling your calorie intake alongside increasing your physical activity is the perfect combination to achieve this.
At first, it can feel impossible to control your calorie intake, but the best way to get into this habit is to count your calories to ensure that you are creating a calorie deficit each day. While this may sound complicated, there are many apps on the market that can count your calories for you with just a touch of a button.
Be Consistent
The key to achieving your fitness goals is by being consistent and making regular exercise a part of your schedule. By having set times and days to engage in physical activity you will find it easier to get into the habit of finding the motivation to exercise.
Set realistic goals
You will find it much easier to stay on track to achieve your new year fitness goals if you set yourself goals that you can realistically achieve. While we may all dream of an overnight transformation after one trip to the gym, it is crucial that your expectations and goals are realistic.
Many diets may advertise quick and easy weight loss, but medical professionals state that a one to two-pound loss a week is healthier and more sustainable. Remember that, unattainable goals can considerably knock your motivation and cause you to quit out of frustration.
Track your progress
It is much easier to stay motivated and on track with your fitness goals if you can notice a difference and see that your hard work is paying off. Being more active is a challenge, especially in the winter months when it is all too tempting to get cosy under a blanket and watch your favourite Netflix show.
However, by tracking your progress, by either keeping a note of your weight and measurements or by inputting them into a fitness app, you can watch as your fitness dreams start to become more of a reality.
By having the equipment, you need, and the plan in place to help you when you are lacking in motivation you can stay on track and make 2021 the year that you stuck to your new year fitness regime.
