The cycle of New Year’s fitness goals goes the same every year for most people. You start the year excited and passionate about getting yourself to a better place by the end of the year. You start planning lifestyle changes to make and envision how you are going to look once it’s over. But as you go through the motions, the motivation you once had seems to fade. Life starts to get to you, and you start to get more lenient with the plan you created. Motivation starts to wane before dropping off abruptly just a couple of months in. There are a multitude of reasons why people tend to lose motivation when trying to achieve physical fitness. In order to prevent the same pattern in yourself, here are some things to do to keep up with your efforts.
Set realistic goals
One of the mistakes people make while planning their goals is expecting too much out of themselves. They give themselves dramatic weight loss or weight gain goals that would take more effort than a beginner can put in safely. When planning, it’s important to remember that things take time. The best way to achieve these goals and stay safe along the way is to set small goals to reach periodically. Those who shoot for unrealistic goals often lose courage along the way, leading them to not only give up but believe that they will never achieve the look they want.
Keep it simple and plan
One of the most common things people tell themselves that keeps them from trying to make lifestyle changes is that they don’t have the time to commit to the gym or healthy eating. These two things don’t have to take a lot of time to be effective. You don’t need to be in the gym for multiple hours every day, nor do you need to go out of your way to spend lots of time cooking. An hour or less a day in the gym three to five times a week is adequate for most fitness goals. Healthy eating can be achieved by adding better balance to your meals. Meal prepping for a week at a time is another way to save time and keep your diet more consistent. Making these efforts less time-consuming makes it easier to fit them into the busiest schedules, making them easier to stick to.
Seek Guidance
Lack of education on exercise and nutrition leads people to create plans for themselves that are not actually conducive to their goals. If the gym is something you are new to, it’s good to get exercise programs from certified trainers. You can get more information about planning from science literature, YouTube videos, and other gym goers. Whether it is lifting form or advice on the frequency and intensity of a workout, taking advantage of outside sources is important when learning how to execute fitness goals. If you’re looking for an optimal time to workout on campus and avoid the crowd, consider going to the gym in the morning or around 3-5 pm.
Stay accountable
Saying you are going to achieve a certain look by the end of the year is not enough to make that happen. Planning is not the only thing you need in order to achieve your goals. Having the determination to follow the plans you set for yourself is required for those who want to see actual changes. Getting your friends involved in your journey can help with accountability and add some fun. People with like-minded goals can work together to keep each other motivated and prevent each other from falling off. Doing this in the form of a bet is a great way to spice things up. Internal and external motivation are both factors that can come into play when keeping yourself accountable to your goals.
Achieving physical fitness does not have to be a herculean task. The most important thing to remember is that no matter what happens, keep your mental health in check. Campus gyms have a ton of resources that can cater to any workout plan for any kind of experience level. Beginners and regular lifters may favor Schaefer Gym due to the wide variety of equipment which includes machines for both upper and lower body development. UCC gym has more of an open layout, with the equipment being more suitable for powerlifting-type exercises.
