How to Keep Your Fitness Resolutions on Track in 2016

This post has been contributed by Beth Jones.

Your New Year’s resolutions for 2016 are just around the corner.  And we all start January with so much enthusiasm for the new year, and a determination to reach our goals.

However, it’s incredibly common for those good intentions to quickly fall by the wayside.  And then often the goals we really want, are never quite reached.

But don’t let that happen in 2016!

So whether your fitness goals are to lose weight, or perhaps to increase your stamina.  Or perhaps it’s to develop muscle mass.  Well, it’s important to note that just having a resolution isn’t enough.  Doing only that is what most others do, and how does that work out for others?  Exactly.

Rance Costa on Flickr

So it takes a little more to overcome obstacles, and get the body you really want.  Here’s a few tips to keep in mind:

You Must Plan for Success

The first step is simply writing the goal down.

Get that goal, that resolution, out of your head and onto paper.  Yes, paper!  Not your computer screen.

Write it out by hand, and even better if you can pin it up on your wall.  That’s a great start.

People who actually have written goals are far more successful.  Really.  Rather than just thinking about them, you’re far more likely to actually reach them.  That simple act helps take your focus and motivation to a whole other level.

And one question you need to ask yourself – is the goal realistic?  What you can achieve is amazing.  Don’t shrink your dreams, but you’ve also got to keep your feet on the ground.  Otherwise you’re setting yourself up to fail right from the start.

Then, what actions specifically will you need to take to reach the goal?

When will you take those actions?  For how long?  And how often?

It’s important to keep actions realistic too.  Two hours of exercise a day if you have a very busy work and personal life probably won’t work!  So you have to figure out a way to reach your goals, within the limitations your life puts on you.

Sometimes joining with others when exercising can be helpful.  A boot camp like Prestige Boot Camp has helped many reach their intended goals.

Keep Track of Your Gains

As you start to make gains through your fitness work, it’s often easy to overlook them.  There’s a simple reason for this.  When getting better at something, that positive progress can sometimes be overlooked entirely.

So find a way to keep track of the benefits you’re receiving.  This could be as simple as weighing yourself regularly.  Or perhaps it’s seeing how your fitness just keeps on growing.  This could perhaps be that your running time keeps improving week by week, and month by month.

Reward Yourself

Life isn’t all work and goals, it’s also fun!  So reward yourself for staying on track.  But that said, the biggest reward can be actually reaching your goals.

So picture having your goal, while you’re still working on it.  And soon enough the day will come when thought becomes reality.

Do you have any fitness goals for the coming year? I am hoping for a half marathon pb, but mainly I want to keep on enjoying running, and maybe get a bit more involved with parkrun.