The list of New Year's resolutions usually starts with those related to sports and slimming: "from January I am starting myself", "I will lose 20 kilos", "I will start running regularly". We are eager to buy exercise equipment, new running shoes, a heart rate watch and… after two or three weeks at the most, we return to our old habits. Here are 6 practical tips for keeping your New Year's resolutions and turning them into everyday habits.
New Year's resolutionsmost often refer to physical activity - we promise ourselves that in the new year we will lose weight, sculpt the figure or simply start moving more. This short-term enthusiasm for change is used by stores whose assortment is expanded with home exercise equipment, fitness outfits and sports gadgets in January. So we get a new spinning bike, elliptical cross trainer, dumbbells or an expander, we start hard training and… we are hit by a crisis. It turns out that the exercises are not as simple as we thought, after just a few days we feel exhausted and no effects.
Such a scenario usually means that we have made a mistake at the very beginning - for example, we have developed a training plan that is too ambitious or we have not thought carefully about whether a given activity fits our temperament, expectations and he alth.
Therefore, this year, instead of acting on impulse, carefully plan your sports transformation.
The first 21 days of the challenge will decide whether we will persevere in our New Year's resolutions. If they go according to plan, it will only get easier later. The following tips will help you to plan your action and persevere in it.
1. Set your goal precisely
If you do not know exactly what you want to achieve, it will be difficult for you to see the results of your efforts and you will quickly get discouraged. It is not enough to promise yourself "I will lose weight this year" - let your resolution be more precise, for example "I will lose 5 kg in a month" or "from tomorrow I will run 3 times a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays."
In this way, the brain receives a specific instruction that is much easier to translate into real action than vague assurances like "I will exercise more". Thanks to this, it will also be easier for you to subordinate other duties to your overriding goal,what is working on an athletic figure.
2. Really evaluate your possibilities
People starting their adventure with sport often throw themselves into the deep water with too high expectations. Your goal may be to lose 30 kg, but you have to reckon with the fact that you will not be able to lose that many pounds in 2 months.
Similarly, you can assume that you will run a half-marathon this year, but be aware that starting from scratch, your training plan should include about half a year of preparation.
Setting the bar too high will not make you get closer to your goal faster - on the contrary, you will get discouraged easily, because your body will not be able to cope with such heavy loads.
3. Use "small steps"
This tip connects to the previous point - to persevere in New Year's resolutions, set small training goals in front of you that will add up to one main, big goal.
Instead of assuming in advance that you will lose 30 kg (which sounds overly ambitious and may be worrying if I can make it), say to yourself: "I will lose 5 kg in 2 months". If you succeed, set another goal for yourself and keep doing this until you achieve the desired effect.
This scheme of action makes you stress less - because the lower the requirements, the easier it is to maintain mental comfort and faith in your own abilities.
4. Don't hesitate!
Start implementing your New Year's resolutions as soon as possible. Don't wait for the weather to improve or get the right outfit - it's best to do a workout today or buy a fitness club card. Knowing that you have spent money on your goal will mobilize you.
This will be useful to youA good way to stick to a set training plan is to takechallenges- e.g. 30 days of doing squats, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. The task is easier, because you just need to follow the ready-made pattern exercises given in the table - a certain number of repetitions is provided for each day.
See example challenges:
- Challenge: flat stomach in 30 days
- Challenge: squats on a sexy ass!
- Push-ups - 30-day challenge for beginners and advanced
- PLANK Challenge (30-day training plan for beginners and advanced)
- Hula hoop challenge: slim waist and strong belly in 30 days
- Challenge: 30 days of skipping rope
5. Practice in company
To stay motivated, it is better to exercise in company than alone. Worth findingpeople who have similar resolutions and want to persevere in them - thanks to this you will watch over each other and mobilize to effort.
If there is no such person in your environment, look for support groups on the Internet - on various forums and blogs, small communities of people are formed who want to achieve a common goal, e.g. not to eat sweets for 30 days or start practicing yoga . By joining such a group, you will feel obliged to follow the rules set out in it.
6. Reward yourself and punish yourself
The system of rewards and punishments is not only a good educational method - it is also a smart way to develop he althy habits. After a week of trainings carried out according to the plan, it is worth giving yourself a reward, e.g. a tasty cheat meal in the city, going to the cinema, buying clothes or a gadget that we have been dreaming about for a long time.
And if we fail to stick to the decision - set a pen alty, e.g. extending the training by 15 minutes.
It is important, however, to reward yourself only when we have really implemented a large part of the assumed plan, and rather not more often than once a week.
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Before you start exercising regularly, remember to adjust your training plan not only to your fitness abilities, but also to your he alth. For example, if you want to lose weight but suffer from backache, choose swimming rather than jogging.
By training in the pool, you will relax the contracted muscles and strengthen those responsible for the condition of the spine. Running can make your discomfort worse, especially if your spine (deep muscles) is weakened.