How to Stick to Your New Year Fitness Plan

Now, for many people, they are stuggling to keep up with their resolutions. Research shows that as many as 93% of new year’s fitness plans fail within the first few months. We’re well into the year now and if you’re finding that the enthusiasm you had for your “new year new you” lifestyle when you signed up to a gym membership has waned. Don’t worry! The gym team from our country club have got some top tips to help you stick to your new healthy routine.

Start Small

Giant, unobtainable resolutions are the hardest to stick to. One of the reasons big goals fail is that they’re too big – so break it down into manageable, measurable sections. You have to start somewhere and making positive progress (no matter how small) will help give you boosts of confidence in yourself. Whereas, if you’re not hitting the unreasonable targets you’re setting yourself then it might make you lose confidence.

If your resolution is to get fit then don’t try going from 0-100. Try adding just one extra session in a gym into your routine each week. Starting small and building your way to your goal is a much better route than overwhelming yourself right off the bat.

At Patrington Haven we have a swimming pool as part of our country club. Visiting a swimming pool once a week could be a good place to start. This low impact (but very efficient) exercise can be easily integrated into your routine and should be easy to keep up with.

Don’t Do Fads – Make Changes That Are Permanent

Different diets and fitness schedules work for different people. Take it from us, there is no miracle “one-size-sits-all” diet or exercise plan. You should be sceptical of anything claiming to be!
We’ve all been there: you hear about the latest quick fix diet and exercise plan, and before you know it you’ve started an unmanageable (and often miserable) routine.

A good way to test if a fitness plan will work for you is to ask yourself the question ‘Will I still be maintaining 70% of this in 5 years time?” If not, find an alternative. Sticking to a healthy lifestyle isn’t about quick, temporary results. It’s about making changes for life.

A study from the University of Michigan found that focusing on immediate rewards rather than the overall goals encouraged people to stick with it. People who saw exercise as key to improving their daily quality of life were 34% more likely to stick with their routines than those who focused only on more long-term goals such as weight loss.

Talk About It

You don’t need to broadcast it to all the people in your office, or on the bus, but it’s a good idea to let your friends or family know your fitness goals. This way they can offer you help and encouragement if there are any points you need it.

Also, there’s scientific evidence that people who seek help with their fitness are more likely to succeed. The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found “a massive 42% increase in sustained weight loss amongst those that used a support network to help them lose weight.”

As well as being a good source of support, getting a little help from your friends will help you keep yourself accountable. Fear of letting people down will give you an extra layer of motivation to stick to your fitness plan.

Be Forgiving to Yourself

You’re not a superhuman (probably), so you will have ups and downs. Breaking a resolution once or having a bit of an off week doesn’t have to mean it’s the end of the road. Just because you haven’t visited a gym for a fortnight you haven’t failed! If you are taking consistent strides towards your goals don’t let a couple missteps discourage you from reaching them.

Keep Track and Review Your Progress

A few months after the start of the year, the majority of resolutions have been left by the wayside. Not yours though! By reviewing your progress regularly you can keep yourself in check and make sure if you do have any little wobbles then they can be rectified.

Pick four or so dates throughout the year to work towards. Whether you write these dates down in your agenda or put them in an online calendar, a reminder to review those goals will keep you on-track and striving to do better!

You could get yourself a fitness calendar. Use a journal or calendar to keep yourself in check. If you’re really serious about your fitness plan you can even use your diary to keep track of your workouts and even your meals.

When times get tough and you feel like throwing in the towel, refer to your first week and think about all of the progress you’ve made since then. When spring hits and the pressure of fulfilling your New Year’s resolution starts to fade away, this journal can be great motivation to keep going.

Congratulate and Reward Yourself!

Remember why you made your New Year’s resolutions in the first place, and celebrate your successes along the way. We know that these commitments can be tough so celebrate yourself for sticking with yours, and be proud when you reach your goals!

If you find that you need a bit of a kick up the backside to get you to the gym then you can use a psychological technique called “temptation bundling“. This involves grouping activities together to help encourage yourself to do the less desirable of the two. Try not to reward yourself with food and drink where possible. For example, at our country club a session in the gym or swimming pool can easily be paired with a cup of coffee in Guy’s Cafe Bar Resturant or getting a treatment at our on-site salon.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you to stick with your New Year fitness plan or even start a new fitness plan. If so, checking out our country club’s gym, swimming pool and fitness class would be a great next step.