If you’re like many people, January is a clean slate kind of month. It’s a month to make resolutions, reorganize and get your mind prepared for a happy and prosperous new year. It’s also, for many, the time to get prepared for a HEALTHY new year. Having a goal to get healthier is a great thing, however there’s a reason that it’s on the top ten list every year of the most popular resolutions:

 

American Fitness Professionals & Associates reports that only about 20 percent of people keep their fitness resolutions each year.

 

While that’s great for those 20 percent, what about the others? You have to wonder why all of the motivation and excitement of creating a new you in the New Year, wears off and we fade back into our old lives. I personally believe it’s all about setting yourself up for success and a long-term relationship with an exercise routine. In addition, I believe that it’s not about dieting or fad diets, but about a healthy clean eating diet that assists your body in becoming who you were meant to be.

 

So, even though it’s been done a million times, here is my MUST DO list, to help you get and STAY on the right track with your New Year’s Resolution.

 

Know That It Isn’t Going to be a Cake Walk.

While you will have fun, (sometimes more than you’d imagine) you may also have days when you are tired, sore, and want a piece of chocolate cake. These are to be expected, but every time you resist the urge to eat cake, workout with sore muscles, or get up an hour earlier to do cardio, you are getting one step closer to the results you want.

 

“The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.”

Vince Lombardi

 

Remember, you CAN do it. Just put your mind to it, and enjoy the ride.

 

Make Life a Little Easier On Yourself

Planning is key to having a smooth sailing life. Be prepared.

 

Don’t Overdo It

It’s easy to be excited about starting a new routine. Many times you find that after your first few workouts you feel energized, excited and have a new lease on life. That’s great! That’s what we want, but just make sure you realize you  don’t need to accomplish it all in a day. If you find yourself coming to the gym in the morning, stopping in on your lunch break and coming back after work, you run the risk of burning yourself out. You need to make sure you are getting adequate rest in between workouts. Rest is KEY to getting the results you want. In addition to the physiological aspects of rest on your body, you also need it for your mind. Lack of sleep or overtraining can hinder your workouts, making you foggy and unable to perform at your peak. You need to make the most out of every workout, so it’s better to have one workout a day that is really good, then three that are mediocre.

 

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is the new you

 

Schedule Your Workouts and Stick to It

This one is a big one. You have events in your life that you are expected to be at. Work for instance, is from 9-5. You are expected to be there unless there are some unforeseen circumstances, so why wouldn’t you take your job to be healthy just as serious? Try to talk with family and friends ahead of time so they know your schedule and understand how important your goals are to you. With them on board, you’ll have even more motivation and accountability to keep your appointment with your workouts.

 

Don’t Punish Yourself For an “Off” Day

There might be days in which you just don’t feel like working out. You may go out to dinner with friends on a Saturday night after a long week and have pasta for dinner and then a big dessert. Just because you’ve had a bad day, doesn’t mean you’ve ruined all your hard work up until this point. If you really feel bad after skipping a workout or having a large meal, learn from it and move on. Maybe next time you should get 30 minutes in before a night off rather than nothing at all, or maybe that means eating a small side of pasta, a large salad and sharing a dessert on a night out. Don’t let the past keep you from moving forward. You owe it to your family, your goals and yourself to make a resolution that sticks.

 

Let this year be the year that changes them all. I wish you happiness and much success in your endeavors. Remember, keep your head up, your goals in check, and just keep moving!

 

And finally, please feel free to email me with any questions or just to brag about your progress!!! Remember, we’re all in this thing called “life” together.

 

Yours in health and fitness,

Ashley