Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? No judgement either way. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t. This year, my resolution was simply to simplify (turns out that isn’t so simple). A friend, Tishler Coaching Services, also turned me onto the Winter Warrior—it’s not quite a resolution, but a commitment to walking 1 mile a day, outside every day in January. It helps me KEEP MOVING and meets some of what’s needed to help me stay active.

If you are still sticking to your New Year’s Resolution, you should feel like a rockstar as most people have already given up on their fitness resolutions. The day most people stop is January 19th. If you never make a resolution, you might be thinking, “yeah, what’s the point?”

The concept in theory is good. We want to start fresh. Get ourselves on a healthier path. But to increase our chances of success, we need to rethink how we structure our resolutions (when it comes to fitness anyway).

We need to consider all we have to GAIN from adding more movement into our lives. And then let GAIN serve as an acronym for ensuring that what really motivates us to move is tied together with our New Year’s plan.


If your resolution has any of the following, you are more likely to stick to it. Pair multiple GAINs together and chance of success only increases. Here’s what we need.

GOALS

Small, manageable goals are easier to stick to than big lofty ones. If you are not a runner, planning to run a marathon and skipping over a couch to 5k can lead to injuries and frustration. You can feel like you failed before you began. Consider small goals, like regaining flexibility you noticed you lost, walking 1 mile per day outside, building up to doing a push up on your toes, or getting up and down off the floor. A small goal will get you moving. And chances are once you’re moving you’ll add even a little more.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The real key to sticking to a workout routine is to have an accountability partner. That can be a set time with an instructor, attending a class where people expect you to show up, or arranging to meet a friend at a specific time a few days a week. Your commitment to that person can help ensure you will show up even on the days you just don’t wanna.

Wearable tech, like a FITBIT, can help with this too. You can make teams with family or friends and compete for steps. Knowing we are in this together is helpful for so much in life.

INSPIRATION

Our workouts need to be fun and feel good. They have to inspire us to show up. If you are thinking about what you planned to add for movement this year and you’re yawning and dreading it, why would you stick to that?

We seem to associate exercise with pain, discomfort, and misery, but movement is freedom. We need a reset on how we think about exercise.

If you’re not having fun, you haven’t found the right moves.

NOVELTY

We can also get bored easily, so variety is key. It’s good for our mind and body. The body needs to move in all different ways, but if you are getting sick of your workout you wont be motivated to do it. Lack of interest becomes another obstacle to overcome. So make a plan now. This month you’ll try Pilates, next month you take a regular kick boxing class, come April you’ll arrange a hike someplace new every weekend. That will be the novelty of the hike and the location.

Plan to meet a friend for your hike and now your pairing GAINS. Because in reality, it’s more GAINS equal less pain, an overall better quality of life, and keeping those fitness resolutions well into the New Year.

Best of luck and let us know how we can help keep you motivated. Watch this NBC CT LIVE for a recap:

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