Happy New Year!
If you’re like a lot of people, you have some fitness-focused resolutions that you hope to keep this year. Perhaps you want to lose a little weight, reduce your blood pressure or simply be more active in 2025, and that’s great! However, we know how hard it can be to stick to these resolutions, so we thought we’d share a few tips to hopefully make it easier for you to keep your resolutions this year.
Resolutions Simplified
When it comes to sticking with your New Year’s resolutions, it really comes down to your ability to commit to yourself and your health. With that said, if you keep a few things in mind and consider these tips, you may find that it’s easier to stick to the resolutions you’ve set for yourself. Here’s what we advise.
1. Set Specific Goals – Don’t just come in with the idea that you want to exercise “more” in 2025. More is ambiguous, and it’s really hard to measure if you hit this goal. Instead, set specific, measurable goals that you can track along the way. You’re more likely to continue with your exercise or diet plans if you notice that you’re getting closer to a specific goal. Maybe you want to lose three pounds a month, or run four miles every week. Set a specific goal, and keep track as you go.
2. Write Your Goals Down – Another way to help motivate yourself is to write down your goals and put them in a place you see every day. Not only will this serve as a reminder, but it gets harder to give up on your goals when you see them written out in front of you every single day. Write down your goals and visualize them daily, and it will be easier to keep chasing them.
3. Enlist A Buddy – Exercise or sticking to a diet is easier when you have someone else in the trenches with you. Get your significant other on board to eat healthier dinners during the week, or set up bi-weekly walks with your sister. Find someone who will hold you accountable to the commitment you’ve made. Just be sure to partner up with someone who will help you reach your goals instead of sabotaging them. If your friend isn’t really a morning person, don’t expect them to always show up for a 6:00 a.m. run. Find a compatible buddy who will motivate you to stick to your resolutions.
4. Enjoy Your Pursuits – If exercise is going to be a foundation of your resolutions this year, we recommend really taking the time to find something that you enjoy doing. Overcoming the boredom of exercise is a huge obstacle to New Year’s resolutions, especially if you’re stuck indoors this time of year on exercise equipment. Find an exercise routine or even an active hobby that you enjoy doing so that you begin to look forward to your activity instead of dreading it.
5. Combat New Or Lingering Issues – Finally, pain or a lingering health issue like shin splints or tendonitis can force you away from activity, and when your exercise routine is thrown off, it can be hard to get back into the habit. Resolve to take care of any new or lingering health issues that could keep you from being as active as you’d like. Sticking to your resolutions is hard enough without also trying to overcome pain that makes every movement painful.
We wish you the best this new year, and we hope you meet and exceed the goals you set for yourself! All the best in 2025 ~ Dr. Lance Silverman.