Workout Motivation for 2019

Are you one of the many people who start a fitness and nutrition program in January year after year? Is your goal to lose weight or just look better, but by mid to late January the only things you have lost are your enthusiasm and motivation? Instead of focusing on short term goals such as dropping a few pounds or fitting into skinny jeans, maybe a change in perspective would lead to more long-term consistency. Perhaps focusing on the biggest goal of health, staying alive longer, can provide some extra drive to stay on track.

For some who stay on course, their motivations have evolved to more long-term goals than beginners. Continually improving baseline performance and just increasing personal ability have become primary drives. Push more weight. Increase speed. Improve endurance. These can become primary factors and are benefits as themselves. Yet, we should not overlook the possibilities that may lie further out. Let’s not forget, your physical activity may be slowing the aging process and extending longevity.

It has become widely known that those who get at least a minimum amount of exercise tend to outlive those that don’t. In Western cultures, and increasingly in others, the leading causes of death are lifestyle related. Diet and exercise are the major factors in cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, many cancers, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease. Burning more calories and increasing lean body mass can greatly affect body composition and function, greatly reducing the risk of these maladies.

Improving your cardio health of course strengthens your heart and lungs, helping to give you better stamina and endurance. A stronger heart pumps blood more efficiently, improving the delivery of blood and nutrients throughout the body. Aerobic activity can also cause a boost to the immune system, which can gradually decline as we age. There is research that suggests that aerobic activity also has a beneficial effect on brain function and can help fight depression by the release of endorphins. Most commonly known, aerobic exercise burns calories and helps increase good cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

In addition, strength training can be very beneficial as we age for improving quality of life. It helps with remaining independent and functional, slowing or even stopping the muscle degeneration process. It reduces the risk of many age-related injuries, as bone density and strength is improved. Mobility and performance are maintained with the strength to move about freely and continue to bear heavier loads. The gained strength could even directly save your life or the lives of others in emergency situations.

So as the new year begins, many people will begin an exercise program focusing on short term goals and benefits. Many of those same people will quit after a short period of time, because they experience discomfort in the beginning without seeing immediate improvements. It may be more fruitful for them to visualize their program from the beginning as a lifelong endeavor to keep the body healthy and functional, rather than immediate results. Just keeping their program regular and consistent may yield better long-term benefits over becoming super fit in the short term.

Sticking to Your New Years Resolutions for 2008

Are you one of those people who sets life changing New Years resolutions at the start of the year, but by February they are pretty much forgotten? Most gyms see a huge spike in users at the start of the year, filled with the "new year wannabe's". Some become so overcrowded that its hard to get a work out in. Most of the regulars will tell you though, "Just stick with it through February, and things will be back to normal." Here's how to make sure your New Year resolutions stick for the whole year.

Set Your Goals

By this time next year, what do you want to be able to say you've accomplished? Whether it's fitness goals, improving your finances, or work and career goals, you should have a clear vision of where you would like to be. Though your goals have to realistic and achievable, that doesn't mean you can't have high aspirations.

Create a Plan

Many people state their resolutions on the New Year, but their goals never go any further than that. Many goals fall flat without a clear plan to accomplish them. Your plan is just the list of steps that need to be taken to complete your goal. Your plan is your To Do list, sorted by priority.

Rather than trying to remember your to do's in your head, you should write them down where you'll see them often. Or you can use tools such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Sunbird, or Remember the Milk. These let you make task lists, set deadlines, and get reminders.

Allocate Time

You've got your list of what you need to do, now you have to make time to do them. Many of us already lead busy lives, so you may have to reorganize your schedule for the things you want to accomplish. Marking them on a calendar and setting deadlines are a good way to give priority to our big goals. Set aside blocks of time in your weekly schedule strictly to accomplish your to do list.

Review and Adjust

Another thing to mark on your calendar are regular times to review your goals. These are regular intervals to check on your progress. This can be any period of time your schedule allows, but at least once a week should be minimum. Sometimes you may have to reevaluate your goals or add steps to your plan. At other times you may find your goal was reached much sooner than you expected. Then you can add new, even higher goals! The key is to make sure you are sticking to your goals and continuing to make forward progress.

So by setting goals, planning steps to your goals, setting aside time for your goals, and tracking your progress, you will be able to make your New Year resolutions become a reality. After a few months, instead of just being a dream you haven't come any closer to than you were on January 1st, your resolutions will be in progress or accomplished. How will it feel at the start of 2009 if you can look back and know you accomplished all your goals for the past year? Will you feel empowered for even bigger and better things?