Don’t Give Up that New Year’s Resolution Yet!

Each January 1st, we make those lofty goals of bettering ourselves called “New Year’s Resolutions” in order to start the year with a clean slate and “this will be the year” attitude. One of the number one resolutions is getting in shape/losing weight, however after about January 10th, many already start reassessing their goals. Maybe I’ll aim to lose 10 lbs instead of 20. Maybe I’ll just cut out Hershey bars instead of all chocolate. Of course we can be a tad unrealistic with our goals and need to keep some perspective, but giving in quickly is no good either and creates a habit of giving in when workouts/fitness goals get tough.

So don’t give in. Many people make the mistake of trying to change too much too fast. Start with the small things and gradually build up. Here are a few small changes to make to your workout/health routines during the first weeks of a fitness resolution:

• Start with short workouts - If you’re starting from scratch, don’t think you need to do hour long workouts five times a week right off the bat. You’ll get burned out fast. You need to establish the frequency habit first, then you add time to your workouts to further challenge you. Start with 20-30 min workouts four times a week and build from there to establish a routine
• Mix it up - Variety is the spice of life, and your workouts. Doing the same routine over and over again, will bore you fast and cause you to ditch. Keep it interesting by changing the order you do things, the types of activities, and where you do them to keep it interesting especially as you’re starting up on your fitness program.
• Join a community – There are a number of online fitness communities you can join to give you the group support and ongoing tips that you’ll need to get started and keep motivated. Try NeverSayDiet’s Community Challenge or Discovery’s National Body Challenge. 
• Add music to your diet - I know there are some debates on whether music serves as more of a distraction or motivation in a workout, but I find it really helps. So get creative and compile a workout playlist to pump you up (Fitsugar has some suggestions for you). Think your playlist is especially motivational or inspiring? Then enter the New York Times’ Well blog”Create a Soundtrack for Health” contest to help others battle through illnesses with music.

You have any other tips or tactics that have worked for you? Share them!