Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Resolution to Exercise More
Everyone has a New Year's resolution, but not everyone can keep it.
If your New Year's resolution is to exercise more often, you might have a harder time than a lot of people in making sure that you stay fit and take measures to exercise in the next twelve months.
However, there are ways for you to keep that New Year's resolution.
All you need is some determination, along with the following tips.
1.
Start exercising even before New Year comes along.
Most people who make a New Year's resolution to exercise more will often have come in from the cold: they might not have done any formal, routine exercise in years; their only exercise might be the occasional walk to the store to get some milk.
If you are one of these people, plunging suddenly into exercise might not be too advisable: you could get tired easily and perhaps even quit after a few days' worth of workouts.
Instead of exercising immediately, start with small, gradual steps that will eventually build up toward exercising in the New Year.
You can perhaps start a few weeks before Christmas by walking around the mall to do your shopping.
Or you can even start as early as Thanksgiving by taking a brisk walk around the block after that big feast.
Do this regularly, and every day: keep walking, keep a routine, and start off small.
Keep building this up so that by the time New Year rolls in, you're already used to exercising.
2.
Keep a journal.
There's nothing that keeps you motivated like a reminder that shows you how far you've come.
In your exercise journal, write about how far you walked, if you felt tired, what you ate, how much water you drank, and how you felt after you exercised.
Do this regularly, and make it a habit to look back at how you did: see how much farther you can walk? How more nutritious your current diet is? How better you feel and how much more exercise you are getting? 3.
Consult with a nutritionist and exercise expert at your local gym.
Never plunge into your own exercise and diet routines without some help from your friends.
Better yet, consult with your doctor: you might have some underlying medical conditions that might prevent you from doing certain types of exercise.
By consulting with experts, you can keep your resolution to exercise while still being prudent about what you are doing.
4.
Enroll in a gym or spend your money.
By spending on a gym membership, or by buying good exercise equipment (be sure to consult with an exercise specialist first before doing so!) you give yourself added motivation to keep your resolution: if you spent money on something, you might as well make good use of it! 5.
Set aside some regular daily exercise time.
There's nothing like routine to keep you going - just don't make it boring, or you might lose your interest in exercise.
Have a few hours of your time each day set aside expressly for exercise.
This might be before breakfast, or after work: just be sure to have something exciting to accompany you, such as music or a video to watch while you do those crunches.
By having a routine you make exercise a habit; by taking out the boredom in the routine, you make exercise fun for you, and something to look forward to.
6.
Have a reliable exercise buddy to help you out.
You need someone to keep on encouraging you to do better - someone you can rely on to be there for you and remind you about your exercise obligations.
This someone can be your spouse, significant other, children, or friend: make sure that it is someone who cares for you and wants you to be healthier.
7.
Don't stretch it past your limit.
Some people become overenthusiastic with exercise and tend to run much farther, workout for much longer, and strain themselves.
This can tax on your muscles, and if you are older, this can do more damage than good.
8.
Stretch first! A workout can be painful if you haven't exercised in a long while.
Do some stretching exercises first to make your muscles ready.
9.
Cool down.
When your workout is done, do a few more stretching exercises.
The before-and-after stretching makes sure that you don't hurt yourself.
10.
Keep drinking water.
Your body loses a lot of water when you sweat.
You need to replenish this or your exercise will simply make you sicker.
Condition your brain to see exercise as a fun activity that is rewarding more than it is exhausting.
If your New Year's resolution is to exercise more often, you might have a harder time than a lot of people in making sure that you stay fit and take measures to exercise in the next twelve months.
However, there are ways for you to keep that New Year's resolution.
All you need is some determination, along with the following tips.
1.
Start exercising even before New Year comes along.
Most people who make a New Year's resolution to exercise more will often have come in from the cold: they might not have done any formal, routine exercise in years; their only exercise might be the occasional walk to the store to get some milk.
If you are one of these people, plunging suddenly into exercise might not be too advisable: you could get tired easily and perhaps even quit after a few days' worth of workouts.
Instead of exercising immediately, start with small, gradual steps that will eventually build up toward exercising in the New Year.
You can perhaps start a few weeks before Christmas by walking around the mall to do your shopping.
Or you can even start as early as Thanksgiving by taking a brisk walk around the block after that big feast.
Do this regularly, and every day: keep walking, keep a routine, and start off small.
Keep building this up so that by the time New Year rolls in, you're already used to exercising.
2.
Keep a journal.
There's nothing that keeps you motivated like a reminder that shows you how far you've come.
In your exercise journal, write about how far you walked, if you felt tired, what you ate, how much water you drank, and how you felt after you exercised.
Do this regularly, and make it a habit to look back at how you did: see how much farther you can walk? How more nutritious your current diet is? How better you feel and how much more exercise you are getting? 3.
Consult with a nutritionist and exercise expert at your local gym.
Never plunge into your own exercise and diet routines without some help from your friends.
Better yet, consult with your doctor: you might have some underlying medical conditions that might prevent you from doing certain types of exercise.
By consulting with experts, you can keep your resolution to exercise while still being prudent about what you are doing.
4.
Enroll in a gym or spend your money.
By spending on a gym membership, or by buying good exercise equipment (be sure to consult with an exercise specialist first before doing so!) you give yourself added motivation to keep your resolution: if you spent money on something, you might as well make good use of it! 5.
Set aside some regular daily exercise time.
There's nothing like routine to keep you going - just don't make it boring, or you might lose your interest in exercise.
Have a few hours of your time each day set aside expressly for exercise.
This might be before breakfast, or after work: just be sure to have something exciting to accompany you, such as music or a video to watch while you do those crunches.
By having a routine you make exercise a habit; by taking out the boredom in the routine, you make exercise fun for you, and something to look forward to.
6.
Have a reliable exercise buddy to help you out.
You need someone to keep on encouraging you to do better - someone you can rely on to be there for you and remind you about your exercise obligations.
This someone can be your spouse, significant other, children, or friend: make sure that it is someone who cares for you and wants you to be healthier.
7.
Don't stretch it past your limit.
Some people become overenthusiastic with exercise and tend to run much farther, workout for much longer, and strain themselves.
This can tax on your muscles, and if you are older, this can do more damage than good.
8.
Stretch first! A workout can be painful if you haven't exercised in a long while.
Do some stretching exercises first to make your muscles ready.
9.
Cool down.
When your workout is done, do a few more stretching exercises.
The before-and-after stretching makes sure that you don't hurt yourself.
10.
Keep drinking water.
Your body loses a lot of water when you sweat.
You need to replenish this or your exercise will simply make you sicker.
Condition your brain to see exercise as a fun activity that is rewarding more than it is exhausting.
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