By this time of year most people lose the steam that was once driving their new years resolution. Although you can make a positive change in your life at any time of the year, it seems to be easiest when we turn the calendars to a new year. That being said when it comes to your health & the ability to make a positive change that should be motivation enough to start things up at any time of the year, in fact it may be easier! This write up aims to give you a few simple tips to try & implement to get that lifestyle change from a thought to a reality!
The first thing to do is be reasonable. Reasonable in the request but also reasonable in the timeline. For example, maybe you see people at the gym lifting a weight that youÕd love to one day hit (e.g. bench press 315lbs) but if theyÕve been training for many years and have the build for it and you have neither the time invested or the frame it may not be realistic. Similarly, if your goal is to get a 6-pack (abs not beer) but you first need to drop a significant amount of weight its not that the goal is unrealistic but its not going to happen in 2 weeks. You need to give yourself the appropriate timeline and stick with it (more on this below). So be realistic with things as this helps with adherence to the process!
Once you have the goal in mind it’s time to get at it! But if your plan includes drastic changes in your lifestyle that’s a recipe for disaster! It is best to start small in every aspect and then slowly build up each aspect. For example, if you currently do not go to the gym at all and then want to go to the gym six days a week at 6am that might be a bit much for you to take on all at once. You may be better off with alternating days on/off at the gym. This will give your body a chance to adapt and recover. Of course once you get accustomed to this regime you can absolutely add in more sessions. The same goes for nutrition goals. If you donÕt know a thing about the topic of intermittent fasting and decide to try it every day right from day one itÕs going to be a rough go.
The last tip for implementing a lifestyle change is to give it a chance. This cycles back to being realistic about the goal as a whole. If youÕve gained 25 lbs in the last year and your goal is to lose 25 lbs, it’s not going to happen in one month. The analogy is if you walk 5km into a forest, it’s going to take 5km to get back out – you canÕt expect to get to where you want to go instantly. This is why people who make new year’s resolutions generally do not succeed. They get caught up in the moment of the calendar changing, look back on what they feel they lack/didnÕt do in the year prior and try to cram it into January. If you donÕt give things a chance youÕre wasting your time. That doesnÕt mean quit, that doesnÕt mean donÕt bother starting, it means stick with it. But for how long? That depends on your goal(s) and your plan!
If you have questions on how to implement a lifestyle change, what is realistic for you, or even general nutrition and fitness questions, contact CrossFit St. Catharines today!Ê
Coach SteveÊ
