Workout blues
A brand new year brings the opportunity for students to start over with a clean slate and a fresh perspective on life.
New Year’s resolutions are a popular tradition for many people who want to better themselves in some way for the year to come.
The only problem is most people don’t even make it past January before they break their newly formed resolution.
I read in an online column that the top three resolutions are, exercise more, stay more focused in the work area, and stop or cut down on bad habits such as smoking, drinking and drugs.
I think people put so much emphasis on trying to keep up with their resolution perfectly, that when they mess up they immediately give up and go back to their usual routine.
The vicious cycle only discourages people and sets them back even more than when they started.
The trick is not to be so hard on yourself. Take everything in stride and if you mess up, don’t just automatically quit.
Nobody is setting a time limit on you so you have the entire year to keep yourself motivated.
Another key aspect is keeping your resolutions simple and realistic.
Yeah dropping 50 pounds would be fantastic by spring break, but it’s not very logical; all you’re doing is setting yourself up for disappointment and failure, which could cause you to gain another 15 pounds.
I decided about a month or two ago that I wanted to start eating healthier and drop around 20 pounds. It started slowly and I did fall back at some points, but I recently went shopping for jeans and bought myself two new pairs two sizes smaller than what I was wearing before.
One common misconception is that you have to make weight loss goals on New Year’s, when actually you should come up with new goals for yourself all year long. Make a goal, write it down, figure out all the details and then tweak it as you go to match what level you’re at.
If everything doesn’t go exactly according to your plan, don’t freak out. Reevaluate your goal and what aspect of it isn’t working and then redesign a new strategy to try.
Find yourself a partner to work out with. Then you can motivate each other to keep up on a diet and exercise schedule.
With a little help from others and a little motivation, anyone can complete their New Year’s fitness goals. It just takes a little flexibility and patience. Don’t get so stressed out about accomplishing your goal by the end of the month.
Make a time frame for yourself and allow yourself to adjust it as you go. Lastly, if you accomplish your goal, do yourself a favor and continue it anyway.
Going through the trouble of improving your fitness is pointless if you don’t maintain it. Set new goals often and keep up the good work. The only person you should have to impress is yourself.