4 Fitness Resolutions worth keeping in 2019

2019 Fitness Resolution

If you’re hoping that 2019 is your most active year yet, why not set some health-centric intentions to help you reach that goal? Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at some inspiration and tips that will give you the push you need.

1. Learn a new sport or activity

New year, new you? Sounds cliche, but the fresh start of January is the perfect time to give a brand new sport or activity a whirl. Sometimes, we get stuck in a rut when it comes to our fitness regime. If you head to the same gym do the same routine each time you exercise, it’s time to shake things up. Leading a healthy lifestyle and making progress is all about variety. So don’t be afraid to experiment.

Not sure where to start? Well, you may need to do a little research. You may want to boost your strength with some TRX training, tone your limbs with Reformer Pilates or improve your flexibility in hot yoga. Consider what you hope to gain from your new routine and look for an activity that fits the bill. While it might seem daunting and first, it might soon become your new addiction.

Mindfulness Tips

2. Start practising mindfulness

Feeling stressed out? You’re not alone. A massive 74% of Britons have felt ‘overwhelmed or unable to cope’ at some point in the last year, according to stats from the Mental Health Foundation. While there are many useful techniques you can use to manage your well-being, one of the most effective could be taking up some mindfulness activities.

There are many forms that this type of stress-relief may take. You could start using an app to help you practise the technique. Alternatively, you may want to find a sport that combines elements of this method. For example, you might want to try some mindful movement, a practice which will help you engage and focus your mental state.

Practice these 5 positive intentions for a mindful year >

3. Become more active each day

You might be absolutely killing it at the gym, but you need to consider how active you are in your day-to-day life too. Whether it’s taking the stairs or walking to work, making small changes could make a huge difference to your fitness levels. One of the best resolutions you can set for yourself is to become more active in every way possible.

Look for even the smallest opportunities that will help you boost your physical movement and take them. It may also help to use a fitness tracker or simply an app on your phone to keep track of this new habit. Remember, being active is a lifestyle, not a past-time.

4. Find a gym buddy (who you can rely on!)

If you’re hoping to increase the amount of exercise you do in 2019, there’s one specific new year’s resolution you should make. Find a gym buddy who you can rely on. Research from the University of Aberdeen found that having an exercise partner helped people to reach and even exceed their fitness goals. The reason is simple – most people are naturally competitive and want to beat others.

With that in mind, enlisting an active friend to join you at the gym or in a class could be the quickest and easiest way to up your game. When you see them succeeding, your underlying competitive nature is certain to kick in and you will want to do the same. You’re also less likely to snooze that early alarm when you know someone’s relying on you to join them!

Tip: Be picky when choosing your gym buddy. They should be up for the challenge too.

Group workout

Top Tips to Stick to Your Resolutions

Now that you’ve got some inspiration for your new year’s resolutions, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. How on earth are you going to stick to them? Sure, it’s easy enough to set your goals but staying on top of them is often a much more difficult feat. Here’s some advice to get you started along the way.

  • Make your goals small and modest

Your new year’s fitness intentions don’t have to be huge, long-term aspirations. Setting small, attainable goals is smarter way to go. Your brain is wired to to deal with incremental goals and finds reaching them easier than maintaining the status quo, according research from the IE Business School and Pamplin College of Business.

  • Write down your resolutions

When making your resolutions, it’s a good idea to write them down. One study from the Dominican University of California found that participants who physically wrote down their goals were more likely to stick to them than those who did not. As soon as you’ve determined what your resolutions are, grab yourself a pen and jot them down.

  • Keep your friends in the loop

Do you tell your friends about your goals? If not, then perhaps you should. The same study from the Dominican University of California found that people who sent weekly progress reports to their social circle were most likely to reach their goals. Why not make a pact with a couple of friends to share your journeys with each other?

Conclusion

What are you waiting for? Start thinking about what you want to achieve today and it will be a whole lot easier to manage. May this year bring you health, wealth, and fitness success!