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Leisure Fitness
Resolutions with staying power
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Whether it is three days, three weeks, or three months past January 1st, there is still ample opportunity to make resolutions and start down the path to a healthier lifestyle.While the start of a new year is the most popular time for making resolutions, it's never too late to turn over a new lea- especially when your health is involved. Whether it is three days, three weeks, or three months past January 1st, there is still ample opportunity to make resolutions and start down the path to a healthier lifestyle.
Of course, the manner in which you make and carry out those resolutions will influence the degree to which you keep them. Researchers at the University of Scranton have found that roughly a third of those making resolutions give up on them after one month. More than half abandon resolutions after six months.
Despite those discouraging figures, the researchers note that resolutions remain one of the best ways to improve one's health and lifestyle. People that make an explicit resolution are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than those who avoid a New Year's pledge.
Sticking to resolutions, while not as simple it sounds, is not impossible. There are ways to improve your chance of success. "Have you ever really thought about why you are making these resolutions?" says Katina Geralis, president of Leisure Fitness. "For too many of us, the answer is 'because it's a new year,'" she says.
Such an approach, agree experts, sets you up for failure. Motivation, realistic goals, and reasonable expectations are key to success. Iyou are among the nearly 50 percent of Americans making resolutions this year, the following tips from James Bond, director of retail at Leisure Fitness, can maximize your chances of success.
Explore your motivation for change
Did you feel pressured to make your resolution? Was the pledge made during a weak moment? Or is there an enduring reason for your desire to change? Because lifestyle changes can be both difficult and uncomfortable, there must be some compelling rationale that will keep you on track when your willpower wanes.
Adjust your attitude
If you view your resolution as punishmenfor something that has not previously been achieved or for something that has gone awry, you are setting yourself up for failure. Look upon your resolution as an opportunity to boost your energy level or improve your outlook or perspective.
Don't try to change everything at once
Limit yourself to the one or two changes that will most improve your physical or emotional wellbeing in the coming year. While it is tempting to create a list of everything you want to change, such a notion is counterproductive.
Use the SMART approach
Set realistic, short-term goals rather than broad, all-encompassing long-term goals. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends setting goals that are:
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Relevant
T - Time-based
Goals that meet the SMART standard might include losing enough weight to drop one dress size over six months through a combination of cardio exercise four times each week and the selection of healthier foods on a daily basis; lowering cholesterol levels at least 10 points by year's end by taking daily walks and reducing the intake of high-cholesterol and fatty foods; being able to climb a flight of stairs without being winded by the end of summer through a combination of walking around the block and going down and up the front steps at least once each day.
Develop an action plan
Use positive language and commit your resolution to paper. Create a visual timeline showing the incremental steps you will take to achieve your goal. Crossing off the steps as you go provides a real sense of accomplishment and keep you motivated.
Convenience matters
Whenever possible, try to schedule activities and appointments that will help you achieve your goal at a time and place that is convenient for you and fits your lifestyle. Not a morning person? A 5:30 a.m. treadmill session may not last long in that case. When traffic is bad and you are inclined to skip your evening session at the gym, consider exercising ahome instead.
Don't go it alone
Let friends and family know what you have set out to do and ask for their help. Social support systems can strengthen resolve when all is going well and keep you motivated when the going gets tough. Return the favor and see how you can support a friend.
Believe in yourself
Just because you have failed before doesn'mean you cannot ever succeed. The CDC recommends using visualization to help overcome obstacles and boost morale. As part of this technique, you imagine the results of the changes you have made. According to the CDC, by visualizing in detail your successful execution of each step in a given objective, you create, modify, or strengthen brain pathways that are important in achieving success.
Forgive yourself
It's unreasonable to think that you will nofalter from time to time. If you give in to temptation, don't use it as an excuse to abandon your goal. Learn from the mistake and move forward.
Reward yourself
Buy a new pair of gym shoes or treat yourself to a massage after you have managed to drop five pounds or increase your time on the elliptical trainer to 15 minutes. Everyone needs a pat on the back.
