How are Those New Year’s Resolutions Going?

I thought that now would be a good time to check in to see whether or not you’re still on track with losing those five kilograms or getting more fit like you said you would in early January. So how’s it going? Judging by the research I’ve read, probably not so well. According to that research, around 80% of people drop their resolutions by the second week of February, and only around 8% of people actually reach their goals before the end of the year. I’m no stats expert, but that’s not a great success rate.

Every year I get frustrated when I hear about the new year’s resolutions people discuss on social media and around the dinner table. I have to stop myself from shouting, “New years resolutions don’t work! Learn to set goals properly for goodness sake!” Luckily, I was raised to be polite, and hopefully I’ll channel that message more appropriately via this article.

Here’s how to set exercise goals more effectively.

#1: Goals Should be Measurable

“By the end of this year, I want to be more healthy, and I want more financial freedom.”, said Zoe while discussing her goals for the year. “That sounds great!” I said. “But I have no idea what that means- You need to be more specific.”

Being “more healthy” means very different things to different people. It could also mean different things for you at different stages of the year. What does it mean for you? Being clean from cigarettes for 3 months, losing 3kg of fat, or lowering your resting heartrate by 10BPM? Write it down and measure how far away you are from it.

#2: Goals are Nothing Without a Strategy

Without a strategy, all you have is a goal. Imagine wanting to lose 7kg by the end of the year but having no idea how to do that effectively. You run a bit here and there, and you eat a few salads, but before you know it, its June and you haven’t lost any significant weight. You look at that goal you wrote down and can’t help but notice the massive gap between where you are and where you want to be?

So, you’ve got a goal to lose 7kg of fat. That’s not likely to happen unless you know exactly what to do daily in order to get there. There are loads of different ways to lose fat. You can lower your high GI food intake by X, you can jog X km per week, or a combination of the two. Set up a strategy that suits your needs, preferences, and fitness levels, but most importantly, be sure that you’re working every day to get closer to your goals. Obviously rest days are important to have from time to time, and one cheat day on your diet won’t kill you, but if you’re able to turn this goal from something written on a piece of paper into a daily lifestyle, then you will get there, or at least get pretty damn close. If you’d like some more tips on habit formation, be sure to check Part 2 of our How to Fall in Love with Exercise blog series.

#3: Trust the Process

There’s nothing like going to bed at night knowing that you’ve done enough that day. You’ve done enough work to make your boss happy, you’ve eaten well, and you’ve done your exercise routine for the day. As you turn over, though, you place your hand on your tummy and squeeze lightly. “Still a bit chunky.”, you think to yourself as you start to feel discouraged. “I’ve worked so hard for weeks, but my tummy still isn’t as flat as I’d like it to be.” “What’s the point?”, you think.

Reaching exercise goals can be a long game. Continue to win the day by doing only what you need to do today. Winning daily battles will win you the war. Be patient.

#4: Remember to Re-evaluate Your Goals

Please don’t be so strict on yourself. If your workout routine is so difficult and time consuming that it’s messing up your life, then please change it. Try your exercise habits for a week. If they’re too intense for you to continue them for at least a month, then tone them down a little bit. The goal should be to exercise as regularly as possible before you consider the intensity. Also, if you miss workouts due to being injured or sick, don’t stress yourself about catching up every last push-up or kilometre run. Just get back into the habit. That’ll do nicely.

If you want any help with any of these tips, be sure to visit us at Body Twenty Moreletta Village. We’ll give you a complimentary Inbody assessment as well as a free workout using our state-of-the-art exercise equipment and technology.

Thanks for reading this article on how to properly set exercise goals. Be sure to look out for our next article next week. In the meantime, let us know what you thought of this article. If you have any suggestions for future articles, drop us an email at moreletavillage@body20.co.za. We’d love to connect with you.

Keep Growing

Dave Roebuck