New Year's Resolutions – where are we with them?

It’s that time of year again. A time when we are either “still on the wagon” steadily working on fulfilling our New Year’s Resolutions or perhaps, like many Americans, already abandoned them.

According to research conducted at the University of Scranton, nearly half of all adults make some type of New Year’s resolution. The top three resolutions are typically to stop smoking, lose weight, and exercise regularly.

Unfortunately, the same research study also indicates that 25 percent of all resolutions will be abandoned after only one week, and another 10 percent dropped after the first month.  As the first month of January is coming to a close, for those of you who decided that 2012 is your year to get in shape, I thought I’d share with you some tips on how to make your New Year’s fitness resolution actually stick.

• Change Your Sweat-itude – Adopt a new attitude for this year’s resolution to get fit. Instead of forcing yourself to log endless hours on the treadmill, decide that you will only participate in fitness activities that you actually enjoy. Whether it be dance fitness, ice skating, or martial arts, there are many ways to get fit that won’t leave you dreading your workout.

• Set a Realistic Goal – Many of us abandon our New Year’s resolutions because we’ve set ourselves up to fail. If you want to keep your goal, it needs to be a realistic goal. Think about what you can actually do this year. If you’ve never jogged more than a mile, it’s unlikely that you’ll run a marathon in April. Perhaps setting the goal of running a 5K is better suited for this year, and save the marathon for another year.

• Plan for Success – Pull out your Blackberry or “Smart Phone”. Select what fitness classes you will attend during the next few weeks or what days you plan to go jogging after work or meet a friend at the gym and schedule these things on your calendar. Consider these appointments as important as lunch with your boss or the annual check-up with your dentist. In other words, don’t cancel your fitness appointments – no matter what comes up!

• Enlist Help – Tell your friends, family, and co-workers about your resolution. Ask them to hold you accountable and to help you meet your goal. If your social life used to be all about food and drinks, suggest to your friends that you go bowling or hiking instead.

• Reward Yourself – It’s important that you recognize your achievements, even if they appear small. Establish some rewards for sticking to your fitness
  regimen. After one week of success, book a manicure or pedicure. After the
  first full month, splurge on a new handbag. And if you fall off the wagon, don’t punish yourself! Get back up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.

New Year’s Resolutions don’t have to be an “all or nothing” type of thing.  Literally, take it one step at a time.

Yours in health and fitness,

Kellyann

Kellyann Skorupski owns and teaches classes at The Jazzercise Fitness Center of Wall, 1985 Highway 34, Wall, NJ.  You can get information on her center and the group fitness classes offered there by visiting www.jazznj.com or on Facebook by clicking here.