6 Cheap Ways to Help You Stick to Your New Year's Fitness Resolution
New Year’s resolutions often revolve around health and fitness. Of the top 10 resolutions made in 2012, the number one and number five resolutions had to do with fitness. In fact, 38 percent of all resolutions made are health-related. Unfortunately, only 8 percent of people who make resolutions succeed in keeping them. With odds like that, you may need all the help you can get in keeping your fitness resolution for new year. We’ve got six cheap ways to help you stick with it.
Set realistic goals from the start.
“Do not set unrealistic goals such as losing five pounds a week,” counselor Bill Prasad warns. Settings unrealistic goals from the start makes it easier to get discouraged and give up before any real progress is made. Setting realistic goals encourages slow and steady progress and positive reinforcement. Speaking of slow and steady progress…
Start slowly at home.
Prasad also recommends starting slowly at home. “Start exercising slowly and with limits such as two times a week for 30 minutes. Add time as the days and weeks pass. Do not join a gym. Start at home slowly.” Not only will starting at home allow you to work at your own pace without added pressure, it will also save you money, especially if you end up adjusting your fitness resolution. Though 12 percent of all gym members sign up to gyms in January, after just 24 weeks most people have quit or stopped attending.
No gym? HIIT it hard.
Timothy Wu (founder of Something New Bridal and fitness/nutrition enthusiast) suggests working out at home with HIIT workouts. “HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. HIIT consists of doing high intensity movements (fast jumping jacks, running in place, air squats, etc.), often with body weight only – followed by equal bits of rest. By incorporating HIIT into your workout routine, rather than slow, steady cardio for long periods of time, you’ll be able to boost your metabolism, burn more calories, and yield more positive benefits in a more efficient way.” Plus there are plenty of free, HIIT-focused…
YouTube workouts.
“The Internet has a lot of ridiculous things on it, but with a little searching you can find some fantastic exercises/workouts created by the top health & fitness professionals,” Matt Ferguson of Progressive Health Innovations says. Though he advises exercising caution. “Everyone these days markets themselves as a ‘guru,’ yet very few come close. Tip: If they call themselves a ‘guru’ or a ‘celebrity trainer,’ find a different YouTube channel.”
Always make resolutions you LIKE.
“If you hate jogging, don’t decide to go jogging five times a week. Instead, choose an activity that you enjoy (swimming, dancing, Tae Bo, etc.),” Valerie Orsoni of LeBootCamp advises. Incorporating favorite activities along the path to your resolution/goal will make it easier and more fun to stick to and attain. Not only that, it will also help keep you from wasting money on equipment or activities that you don’t need or dread doing.
Use apps to track the nitty-gritty.
Tracking exercise and counting calories can be annoying and difficult to keep up on. Use apps to help you take some of the pressure off. Apps like Nexercise allow you to track your activity every day and allow you to earn points toward prizes and gift cards. Other apps like Rate What I Ate! offer an easier way to track your meals and calorie intake by simply taking a picture of your meal. Both are free to download and use.
Please consult your physician before engaging in any new fitness routine.
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