There’s no time better than the present to start implementing new health and fitness goals.
However, it’s not enough to simply start. To see real changes, you need to make your changes long-lasting. It’s not about seeing a certain number on a scale or getting down to a certain dress size. It’s about being healthy, strong, and fit for a lifetime.
Today, you’ll learn how you can turn your fitness resolutions into lifetime habits.
5 Steps to Make Health and Fitness Changes Stick for a Lifetime
Creating new habits isn’t easy, especially when it comes to things like eating healthier and exercising more. Here are five tips that can make the transition easier.
1. Find Workouts You Love
There’s nothing worse than trying to get through a workout you detest. It feels like agony. It takes forever.
Choose workouts that you love. Even if your workouts aren’t loved by the masses – who cares? This is your life, health, and body – do what you love.
Think outside the box when it comes to your fitness goals and workouts. Instead of following the crowd and getting a Peloton, try group fitness classes. BURN Studios has something for everyone, including:
- Kickboxing
- Cycling
- Yoga and Sculpting
- CrossBURN circuit workouts
- BURN Strength, which includes plyometrics and weights
2. Get the Support and Accountability You Need
Group classes don’t just provide a workout you can fall in love with – they provide camaraderie. You can enlist your friends to join you or make new ones in the class. Having people around you with similar goals will provide you with the support and accountability you need to stick with your fitness plan.
3. Put It in Writing
If you want to put yourself ahead of the curve when it comes to goal achievement, make sure to write your goals down. Here are some interesting stats reported by Inc.com.
- 60% of people who set New Year’s resolutions give up on them within six months
- 25% of those people give up within seven days
- You’re 42% more likely to reach your goals when they’re written down
Get a journal, put pen to paper and write down your goals, why you want to achieve them, and how you plan to do it. Refer to your goals often and write down what’s getting in the way and what you can do to overcome obstacles.
4. Give Yourself Time to Recover
It’s easy to get excited about a goal or a new workout and push yourself really hard. So much so, you forget to rest. Your body needs time to recover. If you don’t give yourself the gift of rest, your body won’t function properly. You’ll be more susceptible to injuries and exhaustion, both of which will hinder your goals significantly.
5. Start Slow and Work Up
You see some amazing before and after pictures and you want to make a similar transformation. So, you push yourself – hard. You don’t perform as you would like. You can’t even finish the workout. Then, you get discouraged and eventually, you quit.
The key to creating a lifestyle is remembering that you’re doing this for the long haul. You don’t need to achieve results overnight. Start slow, at a pace that is best for your fitness level. Each week or every few weeks, amp up your workout to challenge yourself.
Making Small Changes Can Help You Achieve Great Things
One of the most important things to remember is that small changes add up. The more steps you take, the more they’ll add up. Then, this time next year, you’ll be able to look back at all the progress you made. You can pat yourself on the back for making sustainable health and fitness changes that are more likely to last a lifetime.