4 Tips to Help You Stick to Your Fitness Resolutions

Staying fit can help you achieve a happier and healthier lifestyle, so including it in your list of New Year’s resolutions is a great way to start the year right. However, staying on top of your fitness goals can be difficult due to factors like lack of motivation and being loaded down by your personal and professional responsibilities. Additionally, you might feel discouraged when you don’t see any changes or improvements, even though you’ve been working out for some time.

It may take time to turn your exercise routine into a daily habit, so don’t let skipped days disappoint you. With the help of these tips, you can stay motivated and get into a fitness groove to reach your goals:

Invest in Good Workout Clothes

One of the reasons people exercise is to get and stay in shape. After all, maintaining a healthy weight has several health benefits, including improved heart health and a lowered risk of developing diabetes and cancer. Unfortunately, reaching a healthy weight isn’t always easy, and it can take months before you lose the excess pounds. This might cause you to feel self-conscious about your body, especially when other people at the gym look fit.

One way to start changing this mindset and building confidence in how you look is to invest in good workout clothes. Choose pieces that fit you well and can provide you with ample support during your workouts. If you’re just starting to build your workout wardrobe, some of the things you want to get first are good leggings. High-quality women’s leggings come in various colors and designs, so you can look stylish even while working out. They’re also incredibly comfortable and help ensure that your thighs won’t chafe while you walk, run, or engage in other repetitive movements. 

Aside from leggings, you also want to get a pair of workout shoes. Make sure to choose footwear that is designed to support you while jogging, running, or using gym equipment. Depending on the kind of activity you engage in, it may be best to buy shoes specifically made for that purpose, as they can protect you from common workout injuries like ankle sprains and pulled hamstrings.

Wear Your Exercise Clothes Right After Work

Finding the motivation to work out after a long day at work isn’t always easy. After clocking out, all you want to do is rest and do leisurely activities like watching TV. It can be difficult to get yourself out of this feeling, especially when you’re just plain tired. Nevertheless, there are several things you can do to put yourself in the right workout mindset and get the energy boost you need to start exercising. 

Putting on your exercise clothes right after you finish work can be a good motivator. Instead of going to bed or plopping down on the couch, the act of wearing your gym clothes can get your mind and body pumped up for your workout. Seeing yourself dressed and ready to move sends the signal to your brain that it’s time to exercise, and this can help you feel energized and motivated.

Bring your workout clothes with you to work and store them at your desk or locker. This way, you can quickly change into your exercise clothes right before leaving the office, and you’re less tempted to visit the mall instead of heading to the gym. If you work out at home, prepare your workout clothes before going into work. It’s also smart to place them on a surface you can immediately see once you get home (e.g., the couch, coffee table, or dining table) to help remind yourself that you need to work out.

Make Practical Fitness Goals

It’s easy to include intense exercises in your workout, but completing them is a whole other matter. When you try to execute difficult workout routines in hopes of getting into shape faster, you’ll soon find out that beginning with intense exercises can cause you to lose motivation. Your body needs to get used to working out first, so it’s important to ease into your new active lifestyle. If you decide to shock your body with advanced-level workouts, it could lead to severe muscle pain and injuries that can stop you from exercising for a long time. 

It’s in your best interest to start with a simple exercise routine. Squats, lunges, hip abductions, bicycle crunches, and lifting light weights may seem easy and boring, but they help your body become familiar with movement instead of taxing it too early. These exercises can also help you build strength and stamina, so your body is better able to engage in more intense workouts. 

Make sure that you also give yourself enough time to rest in between workout sessions. Pushing yourself to exercise too much and too frequently can be counterproductive because your body also needs a rest period to recharge, repair, and build the muscles you need for your workouts.

Invite a Friend to Join Your Workout Sessions

Working out alone can get boring really fast, and you might lose interest in doing your exercises if you’re going through them by yourself. To liven up your workout sessions, invite a friend to go with you so you can enjoy each other’s company while exercising. Working out with someone is also beneficial because you can encourage each other to reach your fitness goals. Chatting with a friend while exercising and taking on challenges together can also help make the workouts feel easier to complete. You might even be surprised at how quickly you finish your workouts because you’re having fun with a friend.

Many people include fitness goals in their New Year’s resolutions, but it can be difficult to sustain them as the demands of daily life get in the way. If you’ve already stopped working out, challenge yourself to start again. Hopefully, with the help of these tips, you can stay on track with your fitness resolutions and achieve a healthier and happier you.