After we've immersed ourselves with holiday baked goods, grandma's famous honey baked ham and endless cocktails and cheese platters from numerous celebration parties, there is no better time than now to start thinking about your fitness goals for the new year. We've got seven effective and practical ways to get you moving and motivated to a healthier and stronger you.
1. Write down your fitness goals. Create a detailed game plan for your fitness journal. Be ambitious and consistent with your fitness journal by creating a specific fitness goal and writing down your daily meals, water intake and fitness activities. Personally, we like to keep it old school using a notebook in pen for our journal but you can also us online fitness trackers like My Fitness Pal and Daily Burn.
2. Be your own inspiration. Be your own cheerleader and push yourself to achieve your highest goals. Think back on your past victories and accomplishments as a step to getting your mojo back! You got this girl!
3. Pace yourself. Being an overachiever can be a bad thing sometimes. Instead of changing your entire routine at once or doing 2-hour workouts every day, set small fitness goals to ease yourself into your new lifestyle. Doing too much too soon can cause injuries or you may burn yourself out too quickly.
4. Workout with friends. While you were enjoying all of the holiday meals and treats, your co-workers, friends and spouse were enjoying those same goodies. Start a fitness group or join a workout class at your local gym. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals that are determined to a make a healthy lifestyle change as well.
5. Be a little selfish. You'll have a support system complete with loved ones and friends cheering you on but there will be some people complaining about the amount of time you spend in the gym or ridiculing your new eating habits. They may even tell you that you're being selfish and a bit vain. Setting goals and working towards building a fitter and healthier you makes you an instant inspiration to some, and a reason to hate you for others. Regardless of what others say, you still look amazing.
6. Keep a fitness journal. Track your progress with a simple journal of your daily exercise, food and water intake. This is an easy way to keep track of your meals and to ensure that you're not consuming too many calories within the day. There's a ton of great apps out there for you to utilize as well. Livestrong, Calorie Counter are just a few options that you can download on your iPhone or smartphone today.
7. Be prepared. It doesn't matter how much you focus on your healthy lifestyle, be prepared for a few setbacks every now and then. Your children may fall ill or a last minute project at work may call for unexpected overtime. Keep healthy snacks in your purse like fruit bars and trail mix and an extra pair of sneakers in your car.
