6 Tips to Stay Fit in the New Year
The New Year is a great opportunity for people to step up and start to make the changes in their life that they want to see. I almost always hear people about how they want to “work out more” or “live a healthier lifestyle” which is great! and usually lasts…a month? maybe 3? But how do we really keep that motivation up? How do we make it a lifetime subscription rather than just the free trial?
Figure out what motivates you - Now when I say this, I mean what TRULY makes you want to do this. Not what is your goal. If you want to “lose 10 pounds” great!, but if that was what was motivating you, once you lose it, your motivation to keep going and KEEP the weight off is gone. Every year I do a plank challenge where a slowly build myself to a 5 minute plank and the last day I go for as long as I can. Every year I have to start from scratch because once the challenge is over, that’s it. I go back to my baby one minute planks and my motivation to keep challenging myself in that way is over. My motivation is leading a balanced lifestyle. So it always leads me to keep trying new things, figuring out new ways to keep that sense of balance in my life long term.
Do the best workout you can in that moment, not the best workout ever - I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I have almost skipped the gym because I KNEW it wasn’t going to be a good workout. Because I was tired, or didn’t eat very much that day, or was sore from earlier that week, or simply didn’t have the mindset to accomplish anything. Listen to your body, and do the best you can. If the best you can do that day is a slow incline walk on the treadmill, so be it! Maybe this is the day you try a slow flow yoga class that doesn’t require too much energy but will still cause you to stretch and move your body? At least you got up, got out there and gave it a try. You would be surprised what sort of energy you can muster once you get yourself started.
Don’t imitate someone else’s routine - In this day and age when everyone is copying each others workouts from Instagram or Youtube, it is so easy to see “oh they are using 20 lb dumbbells, I should too!” Once again, listen to your body. Just because you see someone on the internet going to the gym 5/6 days a week doesn’t mean you should right off the bat. They probably only started with 2 or 3! You have to work yourself up to in intensity and regularity or else you will either burn yourself out or cause injury.
Make sure your diet fits your schedule and your lifestyle - First of all, you HAVE to be feeding your body. Make sure your caloric deficit isn’t more than 500 or else you really aren’t going to accomplish anything healthily. Now, take a look at what your schedule looks like. If you work from home, you probably have way more wiggle room to try new trends and figure out what’s best for you. i attempted intermittent fasting for a minute… and here is the thing. If you are waking up at 5 am and immediately went to work. I was unable to perform at my best for 6 hours without consuming anything other than water. It just wasn’t happening. For me, it didn’t fit my schedule and that’s ok! If you have kids and know that making separate meals for the adults and the kids isn’t always feasible, certain dietary restrictions won’t work for you either and that’s ok! The point is, figure out what works for you, and what makes you comfortable because that is the only way that you are going to stick with it.
Have a water bottle you actually enjoy drinking out of - Water is essential to pretty much everything. Looking better, feeling better, being better. Literally, stop what you are doing and drink some water now, you probably need it. I have around 100-120 oz of water easily every day. Living in Florida and working outside, I probably wouldn’t make it without it. That being said, I have about….10 different water bottles? In all various shapes and sizes and styles. Because I have figured out what works for me! 1. I need a straw. I am way more likely to keep sipping on my water if it has a straw. 2. It can’t be more than 24 oz. If it’s bigger than that, I will find it a hassle to carry around. 3. It needs to fit in the cup holder of my car. There are very few places I can just walk to so I am always in my car which means so is my water bottle. If my water doesn’t fit, I will end up not bringing it which defeats the purpose. Find a water bottle you actually like and you will find it a lot easier to drink your water.
Make sure your diet consists of what you like - Sounds easy enough but you would be surprised by the number of people who eat what they think they have to rather than what they enjoy. Yes, it is going to take a few weeks experimenting with recipes, looking at nutrition labels and all of that. But, you will find foods you enjoy that fit your needs, and once you do, you will have such an easier time sticking to those foods that truly nourish your body.
*my stainless steel “Baby Yoda” tumbler is from Tervis and I will link it here! Not sponsored or anything (I wish) I just get asked about it a lot!
