Club News & Blog

As many of you may have noticed, January and February can be an active time at the RAC. Even though it was getting dark outside by 5:00 pm and the weather made it difficult for outdoor workouts, many people set New Year’s resolutions to improve their fitness starting January 1^st. For many, the New Year is the hope of a reset after indulgence in many unhealthy behaviors around the holidays. Now for the not so good news:

While nearly half of Americans make New Year's resolutions, only about 25 % of people actually stay committed to them after just 30 days, according to Columbia University. Even fewer - less than 10% - accomplish their goals.

These statistics can seem very doom and gloom. If you are struggling with goals you have made in the New Year, and even if you haven’t accomplished all you set out to, there is hope. Even if you have not started yet, now is the time.

February into March can be a great time for a reset and to set new goals. The early year provides time to reflect and better prepare for what you want to achieve throughout the year. Now can be the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on how our New Year's resolutions are going. Are we still motivated, is our motivation flagging, or have our resolutions already fallen by the wayside?

Changing habits can be challenging. Habits take less energy from the brain, which makes it our brain’s way of conserving energy. We do not just wake up on January 1^st, tell old habits to go away, and they just disappear.

With any behavior change there are steps we can take to make the change in habits more successful - here are 3 tips that may help:

1. First let’s take a look at January and February and see what we have accomplished. Chances are that even if you didn’t meet your resolution goal you still made a positive change to your health. It’s always important to celebrate even the small positive steps you take. Often times when we ramp up activities towards our goals in January, we haven’t had much time to preplan or know yet what obstacles might get in our way. By the time February comes we’ve had more time to experience what might or might not work for us.
   
   For example, if we decide to come to the gym for our workout everyday but unfortunately there is a snowstorm, or we have a sick child we need to stay home with, we need to have a backup plan. Maybe instead on that day we can do a home workout routine with body weight and calisthenics. We must be flexible with our plan and have a backup plan when plan A doesn’t work out for us.

2. February into March is a great time to look at the goals you set for the New Year and modify them now that you tried and noticed what is or is not working for your life. You should always set realistic/attainable goals. While it may be tempting to set an all or nothing goal, these types of goals are exceedingly difficult to reach and often times when someone fails, they give up entirely.
   
   For example, instead of making a goal to wake up every morning and go to the gym at 5:00 am before work or school, be a little more flexible with yourself. A better goal might be I’m going to strength train 3 days per week for an hour and do 150 minutes of cardio each week. While 5:00 am might normally be the best time for you to fit that in, if you miss one morning you are less likely to give up on your goal if you work in some activity later in the day. It is much better to change habits with slight changes vs. an all or nothing approach.

3. If you’ve been trying to accomplish your goals alone try the buddy system, a class, or a personal trainer to help you with your accountability. Chances are there will be days when we don’t feel like going to the gym or working out. If you have a friend waiting for you, or an appointment with a personal trainer, you are less likely to skip your workout. This is especially helpful to do until the new positive habit you are trying to foster has set in.

So, how are your New Year's resolutions coming along? Keep in mind resolutions are meant to improve our lives, not to make them more stressful! There will be bumps in the road but stay positive and your positives will outweigh the negatives.

Life is a journey and small positive changes along the way can lead to substantial changes in the long run. If you stay consistent, before you know it, you will have accomplished some of the health goals you have set for yourself. Celebrate all your wins and let’s make this your best year yet!