So, how ya’ doing with that fitness resolution? If it’s not going well you’re not alone.
Right about now people put fitness plans on the shelf, so GenuLines is here with a little push to get you going!
Stick To Your Fitness Resolution
We’re well into the new year. January gives many of us a sense of renewal.
There’s a common theme here.
Our resolutions involve things we’d like to change or achieve in the new year.
One of the more common resolutions involves fitness.
We want to look better. Or get healthier.
Or we’d like to get a little stronger.
Failure
Unfortunately, the majority of New Year’s resolutions fail. The fiery motivation felt in late December to mid January begins to wane.
By February, we find ourselves at the same place we were the year before.
Fitness goals have a way of going unfulfilled. If you’ve ever spent much time in a gym, you know the routine.
For the entire month of January members line up at every piece of equipment in the building. The place starts to resemble Times Square.
Good deals?
Advertisements flood the media with discount gym membership rates. They tempt you with all sorts of shiny new pieces of equipment.
They promise to transform your body in no time at all.
Today we’re going to break down a few tips to help you hit your fitness goals for the rest of the year.
1. Keep Things Simple
It’s easy to slip into overwhelm when you start a new fitness journey. You have to figure out which workout routine to start.
What foods to eat. What equipment you’ll need and what to wear to the gym.
These can get in the way of your goal.Fitness, as well as life in general, is best kept simple.
The best workout routine is the one you’ll stick to. And your nutrition regimen shouldn’t be rocket science either.
You know what foods are good for you and what is junk. The most important factor in your fitness success is consistency.
2. Set Reasonable Goals
The media can make drastic body transformations seem like an overnight process. Their ads give you hope that you’ll look like the models used to promote these products.
Even more comical are the timeframes in these advertisements. How many times have you heard, “In only 15 minutes per day, 3 times per week, you’ll finally have those six-pack abs?”
This is unrealistic since physical changes to your physique don’t work this way.
Fitness is about the long game. As you begin your journey, know that while you WILL see progress, it doesn’t happen overnight.
Don’t plan gym visits 7 days a week and eating nothing but rice and chicken from a Tupperware container. Set goals that you can stick to.
Start small. Like holding yourself accountable to 3 workouts per week.
And resist the call of late-night junk food.
3. Develop A Strong “Why”
As we’ve already discussed, fitness is about consistency. The incredible sense of motivation and enthusiasm you feel at the start WILL come and go.
If your only goal to work out is to “look better,” keep one thing in mind. There may be a lot of days when that’s just not enough.
If you’re going to stick to your fitness goals this year, have a reason why. One that’s strong enough to stick to when the motivation cools off.
When the excitement isn’t there and you’d much rather stay in and watch television instead.
Your “why” has to be unique to you. Find whatever that is and use it to push through the hard days!
Overheard: “It is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit.”
Every New Year fitness is high on the list of resolutions. You tell yourself that you’re going to hit the gym with a vengeance.
But by midyear that resolution is a mere memory. If this sounds familiar let this GenuLines reminder get you back on track.
Stick To Your Fitness Resolution
The majority of New Year’s resolutions fail. Getting fit is one of those frequent failures.
If you’ve ever spent much time in a gym, you know the routine. For the entire month of January, there’s often a line at every piece of equipment in the building.
The local fitness facility begins to resemble Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Yet the crowds thin out weeks later. .
Today we offer a few tips that can bring you closer to your fitness goals for the New Year.
Keep Things Simple
When you set out on a new fitness journey, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
What workout routine is best? What foods should you eat?
Fitness, as well as life in general, is best kept simple.
The best workout routine is the one you’ll stick to. And your nutrition shouldn’t be rocket science.
You know what foods are good for you and what’s junk. The biggest factor in your fitness success is consistency.
Set Reasonable Goals
Advertising does a great job of making drastic body transformations seem like a snap. Even more comical are the timeframes reported by these ads.
How many times have you heard, “In just 15 minutes per day, 3 times per week, you’ll finally have those six-pack abs?”
This is all nonsense, as physical changes to your physique don’t work this way.
Fitness is about the long game.
While you WILL see progress, it doesn’t happen overnight.
So instead of going to the gym 7 days a week and eating nothing but celery, set goals that you can stick to. Start small.
Hold yourself accountable to 3 workouts per week. And avoiding your favorite late-night junk food.
Develop A Strong “Why”
As we’ve already discussed, fitness is about consistency. The incredible sense of motivation and enthusiasm you feel at the start WILL come and go.
If your only inspiration to work out is to “look better,” know there will be a lot of days in which that’s just not enough. Make your “why” unique to you.
Overheard: Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.
The human body is capable of miles and miles of walking. Yet, in modern society, we spend most of our time sitting down.
That’s not good for our bodies. It leads to a range of health issues.
A daily walk might head off these problems. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
Give up your seat
Most of us sit for our work. We eat sitting down.
And to be honest all we want to do when we come home from work is plop down on the couch for a Netflix marathon until bedtime.
This presents a challenge. But a walking habit is a good one.
Kind of like the habit of brushing our teeth twice a day or taking out the trash on Tuesdays. Once it’s a well-ingrained habit, it won’t be as much of a challenge to make sure we go for a walk each day.
Your path
You can start by finding a walking route you enjoy. Your favorite walk may offer beautiful vistas.
But if it’s a 30-minute drive there and back, you’ll be less likely to do it every single day. Instead, save that particular walk for the weekends.
Then come up with something convenient and pleasant for your everyday walking routine. If you can, find a route in your own neighborhood so you can leave right from your front door.
Taking the same route every day helps form that habit. It’s also encouraging to notice that you can walk the same loop faster or with less effort over time.
You’re steadily getting stronger and fitter.
Incentives
Listening to your favorite music, podcast, or audiobooks is also helpful. It’ll make the time go by faster and give you something else to look forward to.
You can even use your favorite media as a way to bribe yourself to go for your daily walk. Let’s say you have a couple of podcasts you enjoy.
Save them for your walks and only let yourself listen to them while you’re walking. It’s a great incentive to get out there even on days when you’re not feeling it.
Group Walks
Finally, consider walking with other people. Find a walking group in your area, or talk a friend or neighbor into becoming your walking buddy.
Not only is it more fun to walk when you have someone to talk to, it also has some built-in accountability. You won’t want to skip a walking workout when you know that other people are waiting for you to join them.
Give these tips a try. They’ll help you make your daily walk an integral part of your health, your fitness, and your life.
Your work can be bad for your health. You might sit at a desk for eight hours. Or look at a computer screen all day. Or spend your day on your feet, running around an emergency room treating patients.
Your risks include repetitive strain injury, stiff joints, eye strain, and back pain. One of the biggest risks is weight gain, especially for busy professionals.
Even being on your feet during the workday poses problems. You might turn to sugary foods to keep going, adding to the risk of weight gain.
There is good news, though. Here are five fitness tips for the busy professionals among us.
1. Sleep Well
It’s one of the best things you can do for your health. Sleep improves your focus and performance.
And, it means you’ll more likely make the right dietary decisions.
Choosing the right foods gives you fuel to do your workout. It improves your mood. And it can even boost your sex life.
2. Plan Well
If you want to maintain your fitness you’ll want to plan ahead. One of the biggest downfalls of any lifestyle is the inability to maintain it.
So, if you know you’re prone to grabbing junk at lunch, make sure you prepare your lunch the night before. Do the same with your breakfast and dinner.
If you often forget to grab your gym bag, leave it at the door or somewhere you will see it for when you need it. The magic number when it comes to moderate exercise is 150 minutes – it is easier to achieve than you think.
3. Switch Up Your Commute
Provided you live fairly close to your workplace – you can leave the car at home and hop on a bike or just walk. Not only will it save you money, it also helps protect the environment.
Look at you, thinking of others and improving your health!
4. Lunch Break Movement
If possible, consider going for a walk on your lunch break – the fresh air will do you good.
You can walk to a park to eat lunch. Or walk to a healthy eatery where you know there’s time for you to dine well and get your steps in.
It will also provide you with an energy boost, you’ll find your afternoon at work goes in quicker, too.
5. Travel Well
If travel is a regular part of your business, then you know how difficult it can be to exercise and to eat well. The first thing you can do is start keeping a food diary. This way you can track what you’re eating while traveling, as it’s easy to lose track.
When it comes to exercise, check ahead to see if your hotel has a gym. If it doesn’t, you can track a path to walk or jog and see if there is a gym in the vicinity.
Even in a hectic atmosphere, there are plenty of ways you can find time for fitness. You can skip the elevator and always choose the stairs.
To save time, try to find a gym that’s on your way home from work – you can slip in a few nights a week for a quick workout.
You may be surprised at how many calories you burn doing the housework.
Start your day with a short yoga session. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Tackle the day with the energy and vigor it deserves.
Overheard: “The difference between someone who is in shape, and someone who is not in shape, is the individual who is in shape works out even when they do not want to.”