Kimberly Garrison: 5 steps toward keeping your fitness resolution
OH, YEAH, it's New Year's resolution time. Will 2009 be the year you finally make exercise a priority, improve your eating habits and lose the love handles?
OH, YEAH, it's New Year's resolution time. Will 2009 be the year you finally make exercise a priority, improve your eating habits and lose the love handles?
Whatever your resolution, I am here to help you get your groove back, work your mojo and enjoy the health and happiness you deserve.
So, what's been stopping you from reaching your goals? Is it a lack of motivation? Lack of desire? No willpower? Laziness? Whatever - it all comes down to that man or woman in the mirror. And no matter what obstacles you may face, I've got five tips that will deliver the results you need to put you in the driver's seat and on your way to your personal-best health and fitness.
Write it down!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Failure to plan is planning to fail. It may sound cliché, but you are 10 times more likely to be successful if you make a plan and write it down.
First, think about what you want to accomplish. Write down your overall goal, as well as everything you'd like your workouts to achieve.
Do you want a strong sexy back, a sensational midsection or rippling biceps? Be specific. Give yourself short- as well as long-term goals. And don't forget to build in rewards along the way.
Rewards?
That's right.
Now, of course food can no longer be your reward for getting to the gym five days a week.
Skip the ice cream, fries and hot wings after your workout. Instead of sabotaging your efforts with these old, self-defeating behaviors, try rewarding yourself with a manicure, a movie or the hardback edition of that book you've been dying to read.
When you reach a milestone (like losing 10 or 20 pounds, or making 30 consecutive gym visits), you may want to reward yourself with something really big, like a new pair of shoes or a fabulous dress.
The bottom line is, your reward should be something you consider worthy of your efforts. I personally love rewards - they still work for me like the stars the teacher put on my kindergarten homework.
Prioritize fitness
Who has time for exercise when they're also juggling career, civic and family responsibilities?
You do.
If you are like most Americans, you spend 28 hours a week watching the boob tube (so says a Nielsen Media report). At a minimum, you could spend eight of those 28 hours exercising. I guarantee that you'll feel better and look better, too.
If you plan to get fit, you must make fitness a priority. Make a workout date with yourself. Remember, the best thing you have going for you is . . . you.
Be prepared
Preparation is 90 percent of your success. Get your workout gear and sneakers packed in a gym bag by the door and ready to go.
Plan and prepare meals in advance, too. Send me an e-mail and I'll share my secret to preparing 14 or more delicious and nutritious, ready-to-go, home-cooked meals.
In short, leave no room for excuses.
Set lofty goals
Forget about "realistic" goals. I say, go for the gold, baby!
Whether your goal is to lose 16, 60 or 600 pounds, you can achieve it. Don't let anybody tell you that you can't. You can do it. Just don't expect to do it overnight.
Losing a pound a week is plenty. Just think, if you lost a pound a week, that would be 52 pounds in a year.
And remember, fitness is a lifestyle. There are no quick fixes. You'll get out exactly what you put in. The payoff is looking good and feeling great. *
Kimberly Garrison is a certified personal trainer and owner of One on One Ultimate Fitness in Philadelphia (www.1on1ultimatefitness.com). E-mail her at
kimberly@1on1ultimatefitness.com. Her column appears each Thursday in Yo!
