How Do I Stick to My New Year’s Fitness Resolution?
The key to setting fitness goals and reaching them is to turn exercise into a habit. Maintaining consistency will be the most important factor for turning exercise into a habit. The more consistent you are, even if not every workout is your best, the more likely you are to continue.
Another important factor for creating habits is decreasing how difficult it is to do them. The seven tips we’re sharing for how to get back into working out in 2023 will help you build the habit of exercising so that you can reach your New Year’s fitness goals.
How Do I Create a Work Out Routine?
The workout routine that works for you will depend highly on your fitness goals, what motivates you, and the type of exercise you’re doing. However, it’s generally helpful to define how often you’ll work out – daily, every other day, three times a week, etc. and the form of exercise – all weight lifting, workout classes, yoga, running, a combination, or something else entirely. There’s no wrong way to move your body. Whatever form of exercise brings you joy is better than not moving your body at all.
If you’re working out several times a week, focusing on different body parts on different days can be helpful. This is a common way to “split” workouts when weight-lifting – focusing on legs one day, upper body another. You can split it into even more specific muscle groups depending on how much you work out. The most important thing is not to overburden any part of your body or burn out on one type of exercise. A varied workout routine allows your body to rest as needed while still challenging you.
9 Tips to Reach your fitness goals in 2023
1. Set out your workout clothes ahead of time
We have all promised ourselves we’ll work out first thing in the morning and lacked the motivation to follow through. When creating a new habit, reducing the amount of friction to complete the task is essential. This means preparing ahead, so you have fewer excuses to skip your workout. For morning workouts, lay out your workout clothes, fill your water bottle, and set out any other essentials. The same goes for a workout immediately after work. Simply lay out everything you need in a convenient and obvious place before you go to work.
If you always find yourself saying you’ll work out once you get home and never do, consider packing a gym bag to throw in the back seat of your car. It’s much harder to justify skipping the gym when it’s on your way home, and you have everything you need.
2. Try a pre-pay class program
Specific gyms, like Orange Theory Fitness, have you pay for a class ahead of time. If you don’t show up, you lose that money. This can be a great way to motivate yourself and get into the habit of working out, especially if your budget is tight.
While this doesn’t work for all types of exercise, you could try creating a DIY version of this method. Instead of paying your gym, give a friend $20 before every workout session. They get to keep the money if you don’t follow through (with proof!).
3. Find the right type of exercise for you
Trying new types of exercise can be a fantastic way to find a new passion. On the other hand, doing workouts that don’t feel good or fun can quickly demotivate you. This doesn’t mean you should quit every time a workout class is hard or you’re not excited to hit the gym that day. But, if you repeatedly try to make yourself like running but still dread every run, getting into the habit of working out with exercise that you enjoy may be more effective. That might be yoga, Zumba classes, pilates, weight lifting, or running. Ultimately, finding what works best for you and your goals is important.
4. Get a workout buddy
An accountability partner can make a huge difference if you struggle with motivation. This can also be a way to combat self-consciousness and insecurity in a new environment.
If going to a new workout class or lifting weights for the first time gives you anxiety, a workout buddy may be exactly what you need. Going with a friend can make working out more fun, no matter what kind of workout you’re doing, while also helping you step out of your comfort zone to try new types of exercise.
5. Use the 1-minute rule to avoid overcommitting
In Atomic Habits, author James Clear recommends using the “1-minute rule” to get yourself to build a habit. Because many people tend to overcommit and get burned out, or make a goal and never get started, the “1-minute rule” aims to make it easy just to get started. To use the 1-minute rule, you must commit to showing up to the gym and working out for just one minute. The logic behind this rule is that getting started is the hardest part. Once you’ve started working out, what are the chances you’ll stop after one minute? Or five minutes?
It’s easy to feel frustrated when you have a bad workout, or if you only get a really short workout in. However, any amount of physical activity is better than nothing. Setting a goal of just showing up can help you avoid burnout from overly-ambitious goals.
6. Focus on consistency as a measure of your fitness goals
There are many different ways to measure success regarding goals and habits. Many people set fitness goals like “losing x pounds,” “doing x pull-ups,” or “benching x weight.” But, these metrics are often arbitrary and can make you feel like you’re not achieving progress if you don’t achieve them quickly. That’s one reason it’s better to focus your goals on becoming consistent. Another reason is that consistency will ultimately help you reach other goals.
Another Atomic Habits rule that can be applied to your fitness goals is “never miss twice.” Life happens, and sometimes we can’t just push through. If you miss a day of working out, make it a priority not to miss twice instead of beating yourself up for missing once. When you’re just starting out building (or rebuilding) fitness habits, the most important measurement is your consistency because it will take time to see results. Many people quit too early because they aren’t seeing the results they hoped for. However, staying consistent with exercising can give you something to be proud of even if you haven’t seen any other changes yet.
7. Reward yourself for making progress toward your fitness goals
A reward after every workout might be overkill. However, treating yourself at the end of the week if you go to the gym X times can be a great motivator. Think of it like those punch cards that coffee shops love to give out – every 10 cups of coffee gets you a free cappuccino. Or, every 10 workout sessions gets you a fancy Starbucks drink.
The key here is not to turn this into a form of punishment. Not working out is not a reason to withhold essentials or even pleasures from your life. To make this work (in a healthy way), be sure to pick a reward that is truly something you can live without. Instead of picking something that you feel guilty having without “earning it,” make sure your reward is a bonus or a pick-me-up that helps brighten your week.
