It makes sense that January is a popular time for resolutions; the new year brings thoughts of new beginnings and can signify changes. It’s also no wonder that the majority of New Year’s resolutions revolve around appearance, fitness, and weight loss, given the trend in diet culture since the ’80s and the more recent push to fight obesity in America. No matter how good your intentions on the 1st, though, chances are good by mid-January you’re already starting to slack on your resolution. In fact, according to U.S. News, as many as 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail before February. Don’t be a statistic! If you are starting to lose motivation to see your fitness resolution through, first think about why you’re struggling, then read on to see if any of these tips will help.
Try New Things
One possible reason you’re struggling to keep up with your fitness goal is because you’re getting bored. If that’s the case, try new exercises or work something new into your routine. For example, if your goal is to run your first 5k, obviously you’ll need to keep up with the treadmill, but maybe work in weight lifting or yoga once or twice a week as well. Both weights and stretching are good enhancements to running and may help you reach your goal quicker in addition to breaking up the monotony of a training schedule. If you have a less specific goal, simply trying new programs can bring back the motivation you’re losing. It’s important to find something you’ll enjoy and that will be sustainable in the long run. There’s nothing wrong with stopping a program if you completely hate it, as long as you find something to replace it.
Use Music
Music has been proven to help enhance workouts by distracting from the work itself and releasing endorphins. Scientists are still somewhat on the fence regarding exactly how music assists physical activity, but studies show that it does help for anything other than higher intensity workouts or when it’s important to devote your full attention to the task. Chances are good that if you’re making New Year’s resolutions about fitness that won’t apply to you, so if you’re struggling with motivation you might want to review your workout playlist. If you’re more of an audiophile you may be able to start from scratch, or you can use an existing playlist as a base then add or remove songs based on your preference. Either way, get some good earbuds or headphones and crank up the tunes!
Focus on Sleep
It may seem impossible to go to work, have a social life, keep an apartment clean, eat healthy, and get at least 8 hours of sleep, but if you’re wanting to focus more on your health in 2019 it’s important to make sleep a priority especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Scientists have found a direct link between sleep deprivation and weight gain, so if you’re struggling to lose weight or if your progress isn’t where you thought it would be by now, try going to bed an hour earlier every night. If it’s a challenge for you to get to sleep you could try adding yoga or meditation to your nightly routine or limit screen time right before bed to signal to your brain it’s time to slow down.
Drink More Water
In addition to sleep, water is one of the most important factors in health, fitness, and weight loss. While experts may differ on how much water you need to drink in a day, anywhere between 8 glasses and half your body weight in ounces, they all agree that hydration is vastly important. If you struggle to drink water throughout the day, try to make more of an effort starting now. Purchase a reusable water bottle and commit to drinking and refilling it a certain number of times per day. If you don’t like the taste of water, switch it up now and then with flavored sparkling water or add fruits for some natural flavor. There are also apps you can download to help you remember to drink and that will track your daily intake for you.
Think Past the Scale
It sounds counterintuitive, but part of your waning motivation may be that you’re trying too hard. If you weigh yourself every single morning you can easily get discouraging to watch your weight yo-yo from day to day. The fact of the matter is that the scale is one of the least productive ways to measure fitness progress. Between water retention, stress levels, and hormonal changes, among other factors, the number on the scale can vary by multiple pounds in a single day. Instead of weighing every day, try only stepping on the scale once every week or two, at the same time of day each time. Also focus on other progress to track, like measurements, how tight or loose your clothes feel, or how many stairs you can climb before getting winded. It’s also good to take pictures every few weeks, even if you have no intention of ever posting them, as there may be changes you aren’t even noticing on a day-to-day basis.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have before starting a fitness or diet plan.