Every year there are people who swear that the next year will be theirs and that they will make fitness and exercise their focus for the next 12 months. The majority of these people though will forget this vision by the time Easter rolls around, and then it is the comfort of warmth in winter that pushes exercise to the back of their mind.
The time to start implementing new habits towards exercise is now! Having a plan to make a plan leaves you open to excuses later down the line, but starting your journey now gives you a much better chance of success.
Research suggests that it takes between 21-30 days for a new habit to form. This would put you in good stead to have your exercise routine and your diet in line by the time the office end of year party arrives and you are less likely to fall off the wagon.
How do you start this off though? How do you ensure that you can keep yourself in check?
- Write down your checklist for the day as soon as you wake up.
This helps to form your list for the day of the things that you want to achieve and just before you go to bed at night, you can tick off these boxes. They could be things like.
- Go to the gym after work
- Go for a walk at lunch
- Meal prep for the rest of the week
These are the low-hanging fruit that can help you kick-start your new routine.
- Be realistic with yourself.
Over-restricting will eventually lead to you breaking your routine. The office Christmas party and Christmas Day will have an abundance of food and drink available, do not feel bad or punish yourself for partaking in any of this, but also be mindful of your portion sizes – this can make a huge difference to your progress.
- Make time to exercise.
Every year the last few weeks before Christmas are very busy both at work and in your personal life, so finding time to exercise is not on the top of everyone’s priority list. Scheduling in time to exercise before or after work can help keep you on track and help build that routine through Christmas and into January.
By starting your new habits today instead of waiting for January to roll around, you are giving yourself a much better chance of success and the next year might really be the year that fitness is your #1 focus.
If you’re interested in a career in fitness, study to become a Personal Trainer and get qualified in a field your passionate about!
