Eights ‘N’ Weights with Suzanne: 6 Tips To Help With Keeping Your Fitness Resolutions

It’s the beginning of the year, and we all know how it goes: Most people make resolutions, keep them for the first couple of weeks, and then fall right back into old habits. One resolution that comes up at the top of many people’s priority lists over and over again is getting healthier. Was this one of your resolutions this year?

It is refreshing that people are beginning to think more and more about their health. However, it is not so refreshing when people forget this resolution and drop off within just a few weeks. There are a few tips that may be able to help you if you are looking for ways to stick with this new lifestyle.

Mix It Up
We tend to build habits young, and the older we get, the more difficult it is to create new habits, especially those that require us to work hard. When it comes to exercise, it may be helpful to try out different things. Blogs are up with suggested workout routines, tons of websites and stores have exercise DVDs you can try at home, personal trainers are now popular and can help get you through a workout, running clubs are everywhere, and there is probably a fitness class close to your home or office. Trying different things helps keep it interesting.

Find Accountability Partners
If you have people that check up on you when you do not show up to a class, or have a personal trainer that would call you if you stopped calling him or her, it decreases the chances that you would slack off. And while someone is that person for you, be that person for someone else.

Remember It Is a Journey
Do not put so much pressure on yourself with time limits. If you think you must lose 10 pounds by March and you restrict your diet to something that is not sustainable, there is a lower possibility that you would stick with it for life. Remember that fitness is a journey. You have to continue to eat right and exercise to maintain what you worked so hard for.

Don’t Forget Your Nutrition
I like to say “You lose weight in the kitchen and get fit in the gym”. It’s not as simple as that, but you get my point. You need both a healthy diet and a good exercise routine to work hand in hand. Exercising without eating right could leave you frustrated if you don’t see many changes.

Get Some Rest
At the beginning of your journey, when you are anxious to see progress, it is very easy to fall into the trap of overdoing it. If you go go go, your body may get overworked and you may not see progress because it did not have the chance to recover. Getting enough rest and enough sleep is a very essential part of a healthy body. Give yourself at least one exercise-free rest day a week.

Don’t Get Discouraged
It is easy to give up when progress is not as fast as we want, especially when we see someone else achieving their goals. Understand that our bodies are different, and progress might be slower for some than others. But if you work hard, the progress will come. Stay strong in your goals, get the right information, and in time, it will all be worth it.

Good luck with your fitness resolutions!
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Suzanne Brume is a fitness blogger who strives to live a healthier lifestyle and help others do the same. She blogs consistently at Eights and Weights and gives tips and demonstrations on Twitter @eightsnweights and Instagram @eightsnweights.