2024 is upon us, and many of us have planned New Year’s fitness resolutions to follow over the coming months.
But there’s a problem with resolutions – they often last no longer than January. So what can you do about this?
If you’re ready to make 2024 a year where you take your fitness resolutions seriously and keep going right up until 2025 and beyond, here are some tips to stay motivated.
The most important thing of all when setting resolutions is to be realistic. If you set goals that you will struggle to keep, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Whatever type of exercise you are doing, keep your goals specific (e.g. lose 2 kgs in the first four months) and measure your progress regularly.
If you set these too high, you could end up being disappointed and feeling like a failure – which could make you give up too early.
One way to give yourself more motivation is to invest in new fitness equipment. This could be a new cardio machine like a cross trainer, or something smaller like some dumbbells or a kettlebell.
Not only can new equipment help to inspire you, but if you spend your own money on new equipment, this may give you an additional push if you start lagging a few weeks or months into your new fitness routine.
Try to find something you actually enjoy doing. Working out can be tough, but it can also be enjoyable when you start feeling the benefits.
If you’re not enjoying something, rather than quit, try and find ways to make it more fun. Get someone else involved, go to a group class to socialise – whatever works to keep you motivated.
Get some help from others to hold you accountable. Tell your partner or a friend about your goals, or hire a personal trainer or coach.
Make an effort to share your progress with these people regularly and use them as your support system to keep you going and keep you motivated.
Habits usually take at least a couple of months to form, so do your best to make it this far until it becomes a regular part of your routine.
But if things are not working, don’t quit. Reassess what you’re doing. What’s not working? Do you need to change what you’re doing or where you’re doing it? Change things up if you need to rather than sticking to something that’s not working.
Finally, reward yourself for your hard work. When you reach a certain goal, give yourself a treat like a meal out or some new home gym equipment. You deserve it, and it can help to keep you motivated.
Having some resolutions is a great idea, but sticking to them isn’t always easy. Use these tips as inspiration to keep you going all the way through the year, and make those resolutions last until 2025 and beyond.
Happy New Year!
