It’s that time of year again for New Year’s Resolutions. Pffft!
Many people set resolutions around health and fitness.
I applaud anyone wanting to improve their health and fitness.
As a fitness professional, I’m here to help.
However, I’m not a big fan of resolutions. Goals, I love, resolutions not so much.
Goals, when combined with a realistic plan and intelligently designed action steps, seem solid and more achievable to me.
Resolutions feel more like pie-in-the sky, wishful thinking or grand gestures.
Some people set resolutions with the intent to completely change everything, all at once, right now in their
lives.
I call changing everything “burning the house down”.
I’m not dissing a “change everything” strategy.
I’ve “burned the house down” before in my life.
Just consider the following before you light the match.
When setting resolutions folks may not think through how the desired change will fit into their current life.
Do they have the space, time, energy to adequately undertake their resolution?
If people want change, they have to say no to other things.
Most people’s lives are already overflowing with responsibilities and obligations.
Adding something else demands another thing must be put aside or eliminated.
You can’t pour more water into an already full cup and expect the cup to hold the
extra water. That’s crazy-pants.
In the fitness world where I live, on January 1st, gyms are full of people intent on change.
A typical pattern emerges.
People usually:
- whip themselves into a determined frenzy (recognized by the grim look on peoples’ faces as they exercise)
- work out 5 times a week when they hadn’t worked out 2x a week the entire year before (can we say too much physical overload?)
- skimp on sleep (6AM work outs will do that)
- don’t eat well (trying to lose weight here)
Then the inevitable happens.
By March, they:
- have gotten sick
- are exhausted
- have an injury
- all three
As people stop their gym routine to recover, their resolutions invariably fall by the wayside.
They haven’t achieved the results they wanted. They may even be in a worse place than when
they started due to sickness or injury.
They may have begun with great enthusiasm but after getting sick, injured or are just plain exhausted may wind up feeling hopeless about the possibility for change.
Does this scenario sound familiar?
Let’s back up for a second and consider what may have happened in peoples’ lives during the 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
Did they engage in:
- unhealthy holiday eating
- more alcohol or frothy drinks
- travel
- no rest/recovery/less sleep
- more job stress
- family drama
- little or no exercise
After New Year’s, it’s common for people to want to instantly replace every holiday indulgence with healthier habits. I’m all for better choices but expecting to change everything pronto is like going from 0-80 mph right after starting a car. If you’re driving a brand new, well tuned sportscar 0-80 mph may not be a problem but if you’re driving an older, beat up sedan, well, that’s a recipe for a break down.
Is it any wonder many people crash and burn?
I’m not suggesting people continue excess holiday treats. Nor am I suggesting they ditch any attempt at change and throw up their hands in surrender to less healthy habits.
If Thanksgiving to New Year’s has been one long indulgence, people need time to
regroup and get back on track with whatever healthier habits to reinstitute.
What I am highly recommending is taking a moment.
Just stop.
Before attempting unsustainable resolutions almost guaranteed to end in failure, ask yourself:
Where am I at right now?
If you haven’t worked out regularly since last summer, expecting your body to work out 5x week in January is not wise. Start slowly and add more work outs over time.
If you had a regular exercise routine prior to the holidays, then pay attention to what feels right for your body for intensity and frequency and ease back in.
If you’ve been eating less healthy food and/or drinking a lot of alcohol or frothy drinks what’s one healthier choice can you make today?
Maybe cut back on less healthy choices rather than immediately cutting out specific food or drink
items. What’s the better strategy for you?
If you’re exhausted, more sleep may be the place to start rather than adding extra work outs. The body needs a balance between movement and rest/recovery including sleep. If you’re continually feeling tired, can you go to bed 20 minutes earlier or sleep 10 minutes later?
Can you stop working right now and breathe deeply for 1 minute?
Leave the dishes in the sink and the laundry in the basket.
Chores can be left unfinished for a time.
Attend to yourself and ask: What do I need in this moment to feel 1% better?
Try breathing, moving or resting first, before eating or drinking.
Small sustainable changes will lead to healthier habits over time, much more effectively than
grand gestures. Boring advice perhaps but true.
Consider your mental health. People sometimes slide into a funk after the holidays.
With major holidays finished, what’s left to celebrate?
Wintertime is colder, there’s less daylight and for many, outside activities stop due to bad weather.
Some of us lose our motivation for healthier habits. We may hunker down with the latest TV show and snacks to keep us company night after cold winter night rather than make different choices.
Know that moving your body does help your mental and emotional state.
And if you are concerned about wintertime blues or are already in a funk, talk to a mental health professional for their advice.
This January, forget pie-in-the sky resolutions.
Choose your intentions wisely, create a realistic plan with small action steps to achieve your goal and evaluate your life on how to create space, time and energy for your intention(s).
And please don’t burn down the house.
