Starting is what’s stopping most people. So, get started.

Regardless of what you have done in the past, every New Year, or maybe even a major event during the year, comes with a sense of renewal for many people and their bodies.

A common theme among many people is to create a resolution involving things they would like to change or achieve in the coming year……..or even during the year

We all know that one of the more prevalent resolutions involves fitness especially when it comes to the New Year.

Whether it be to simply improve overall physical appearance, get healthier or maybe become stronger, a vast amount of people base their resolutions around some facet of physical fitness and diet.

Unfortunately, the majority of New Year’s resolutions fail.

And so do most of the 8 and 12 week programs run throughout the year.

The fiery motivation felt in late December to mid January begins to wane and by February, people find themselves at the same place they were the year before. Life seems to get in the way.

Fitness goals are notoriously prone to not being fulfilled……..as many of you will have already experienced.

Martin Avis, a very good friend of mine in England lost 50 pounds (22.6 kgs) in 90 days last year. His method for doing this was so successful for him he even wrote a book on how he did it – I recommend you have a read if you are looking to lose a bit of weight.

The book is called: The Kickstart Ultra Simple Weight Loss Plan – how I lost 50 pounds in 90 days.

And I will let you in on one of Martin’s secrets: “You can’t change anything in your life until you have a reason that is bigger than not changing.”

Worth thinking about don’t you reckon?

If you’ve ever spent much time in a gym, you know the routine. For the entire month of January, there is often a line at every piece of equipment in the building. The local fitness facility begins to resemble a peak hour traffic jam.

Advertisements flood the media with discount gym membership rates, dietary supplements and all sorts of shiny new pieces of equipment promising to transform your body in a short amount of time.

Here are my 3 Best Tips for Sticking with Your Fitness Program

1. The KISS Method – Keep Things Simple

When embarking on a new fitness journey, it is so easy to become overwhelmed.

Contemplating which workout routine to start, what foods to eat, even the outfit to wear to the gym can get in the way of your overall goal. Fitness, as well as life in general, is best kept simple.

The best workout routine is the one you will stick to, period. So do something you like doing.

“Living a healthier life is more than losing weight, boot camps and pumping iron; it’s about losing the mindset that got you there in the first place.”

Similarly, your nutrition should not be rocket science. You know what foods are good for you and what is junk. The biggest determining factor pertaining to your success in fitness is consistency.

2. Set SMART Goals

This means your goals should be: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.

The media does a remarkable job of making drastic body transformations seem like an overnight process. That’s rubbish……it takes time.

To be successful, we are talking about a lifestyle change here.

We are constantly bombarded with images and television commercials promising that if you buy their equipment or take a certain supplement, you will look identical to the models used to promote these products. Again…..more rubbish.

Even more comical is the time frames reported by these advertisements.

How many times have you heard, “In just 15 minutes per day, 3 times per week, you will finally have those six-pack abs?” This is all nonsense, as physical changes to your physique do not work this way.

And by the way…….abs start in the kitchen.

Fitness is about the long game.

As you begin your journey, it is critical to realize that while you WILL see progress, it doesn’t happen overnight.

Therefore, instead of planning on going to the gym 7 days per week and eating nothing but rice and chicken or tuna from a Tupperware container, set goals that you can stick to.

Start small, like holding yourself accountable to 3 workouts per week and avoiding your favorite late-night junk food.

3. Develop A Strong “Why”

As I have already discussed, fitness is about consistency.

Remember this, the incredible sense of motivation and enthusiasm you feel at the start WILL come and go.
If your only goal to work out is to “look better,” there are going to be a lot of days in which that is simply not enough.

If you are going to stick to your fitness goals this year, developing a reason why that is strong enough to stick it out when the motivation cools off, the excitement isn’t there and you’d much rather stay in and watch television instead is MANDATORY.

Your “why” has to be unique to you. Find whatever that is and use it to push through the hard days!

And here is a motivational tip well worth remembering – the reason people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they have to go instead of how far they have already gotten.

So don’t let another year pass you by because a year from now you will wish you had started today. Just find something you like doing and keep doing it.

And just before you go, here is some more practical advice to help you totally crush your fitness goals: 13 Mental Strategies to Help You Stick With Your New Exercise Routine.

Cheers – John – your Active Ageing Mentor and Coach.

Hope this helps – if so, tell all your friends – like and share – thanks.