How to set, and finally stick to, your fitness goals this New Year
December 21, 2018
Every new year starts the same. We set goals for ourselves, say this year is going to be different and then a month later we’ve all fallen back into our old habits. The number one resolution that people make year after year is to get fit, and without fail by mid-February the gym is dead again. So here are a few tips on how to you, as a student, can stick to your new year's resolution and get fit.
You have to really want it
Don’t feel like you have to go to the gym because of society's pressures. If you are happy, comfortable and confident with your body, rock it.
Have a concrete, measurable goal
None of this “I want to get toned” crap because everyone's version of “toned” is different. Have a weight loss goal, or a speed/distance goal etc. Goals that you can measure and associate with a number will push you to keep striving to reach it and once you do it will feel so much more rewarding.
Set realistic goals
It is very hard to lose 30 pounds in 30 days (not to mention unhealthy) and unrealistic goals will get you feeling down and make you want to quit before you’ve really started.
Make a schedule and stick to it
Look at your class and work schedule, figure out when you’ll have an hour to an hour and a half of free time and go to the gym then. Every week. At the same time. If you think of going to the gym as a pre-planned commitment (like an appointment) you’re more likely to go than if you say to yourself “oh maybe I’ll go tomorrow morning or maybe if I'm too tired I'll go tomorrow night.”
Follow a program
I don’t care if its one you made, paid $300 dollars for online or if your best friends boyfriends grandpa made it, just go in with a plan. Following a program alleviates the stress of getting to the gym and then not knowing what to do once you get there. It also saves you precious time.
Go with a friend
Going with someone else will not only help keep you motivated and hold you accountable but it also lowers the anxiety some people feel in the gym. Having someone to have conversations with between sets will stop you from feeling like everyone is staring at you (they’re not by the way… unless you’re this guy).
Take pictures
Whether the pictures get buried in your “Hidden” photos folder or you plaster them all over social media, it doesn't matter. There is nothing more motivating than seeing your hard work manifested in side by side before and after pictures. You see yourself every day in the mirror so it can be hard to notice all the changes until you see comparison photos.