NEW YEAR, NEW START, NEW YOU

With the new year comes a raft of resolutions and this year, you’ve decided to stick to your guns and tone up or shed a few kilos. Each year many make a similar commitment to begin exercising and to take better care of their bodies

As you well know, exercise is one of the best ways to keep your body healthy and fit and help you lose excess weight. You can add quality years to your life by making proper nutrition and exercise a lifestyle rather than something you do sporadically. Unfortunately, good exercise and nutrition are not always put into practice as sticking to your new year’s resolutions is no easy task. One of the most common reasons why someone may fail in their commitment to exercise and healthy eating is because of lack of motivation. Many come out of the starting gates running hard and looking good, but they quickly run out of steam and fall short of their goals

Motivational secrets

So how can you stay motivated throughout the year on your quest for good health and fitness? One of the most important aspects is to be flexible. It’s common to structure an exercise and diet program too rigidly, yet after years of cementing bad habits it’s not realistic to assume you’ll give up all your favourite foods and start going to the gym seven days a week (which isn’t a healthy or safe plan for anyone).

The key to staying motivated and achieving your goals is to take small steps. Don’t set goals that are so unrealistic that they serve to demotivate you. Your final goal should be comprised of several small goals so you can see your progress, feel good about yourself and want to continue improving

Get results

Results will come over time, not overnight. This is one of the hardest facts to accept when you’re trying to change your life. When you monitor your progress, don’t expect to lose 10 of those 20 kilos in one month. More than likely it didn’t take you one month to pile on your excess weight so don’t expect to lose it that quickly. Aim to repeatedly practice new behaviours in order to form habits. For those who have been sedentary for most of their lives, remember that it took years to get into the shape that you are in, and it will take at least a few months to get into the shape you desire.

Come into Lifestyle Fitness Australia and we will help you start fresh for the year 2012 and help you achieve the goals you want!