The beginning of the calendar year has become synonymous with a health kick after the festive period. Following weeks of overindulgence, people throw themselves into resolutions for the new year. For example, at the end of 2020, around 50% of participants asked in a study said that they intended to improve their fitness levels over 2021 with a healthier diet and lifestyle. However, of those that made these resolutions, 35% claimed to have stuck to them for all of 2021 and a staggering 16% failed to keep any of their resolutions. Clearly, sticking to resolutions can be difficult. With this in mind, how can we improve our chances of following through with our intentions over Healthy 2022 Resolutions?
Research your options before committing to a particular diet or lifestyle choice- Healthy 2022 Resolutions
The main thing you have to think about is whether your choices will be sustainable in the long term and what exactly you’re wanting to achieve overall. Having a specific objective is very important for focus.
Firstly, are there any financial obligations, and is it cost-effective? If you’re subscribing to something that you can’t really afford to keep up with, further down the line, you should probably back out and find another alternative that won’t break the bank.
Secondly, you need to consider the intensity of the program you’re planning to stick to. What’s a beneficial frequency of workouts/sessions per week and can you commit to that? Everyone has their own limits and if you’re being unrealistic about what level you’re at, you’re setting yourself up for failure. For example, if you’re a novice who’s never run before, applying for a marathon would be an extreme gesture and unlikely to come to fruition.
If you’re making dramatic changes to your diet, for instance, it’s definitely worth taking time to prepare mentally and physically for a difference in energy levels and or appetite, as you adjust to the new routine.
Make sure you structure your timetable to accommodate for rest and recovery- Healthy 2022 Resolutions
Rest and recovery are crucial when working on your fitness! When the day is done, you must get a wholesome, full night of sleep that can allow your body the precious time it needs to focus on muscle repair and energy replenishment. Sleep deprivation can be known to cause hormone imbalances, which massively affects the time it takes to recover from exercise as it has a knock-on effect on muscle repair.
Make sure to take time off in between exercise sessions and to prioritize your sleep as much as you do your diet and exercise. In addition, it may be useful to look into tools that can assist this period of rest such as a foam roller, an app that clearly outlines your workout plans and accounts for resting periods, food delivery schemes for convenience (nutritional value is already measured out for you) and sleep monitors (which can come in the form of apps on your phone or settings on your wearable device).
Add a competitive element to keep you motivated and supported
Competing with friends or strangers can really help as an incentive. Apps like Stridekick and Strava are beneficial because you can use them to both monitors your own fitness and share data with others. Holding each other accountable as you work towards your respective targets is a great way to keep on track and to stay connected with your peers. You feel less alone when you are part of a wider community and you’ll be privy to tips and tricks from people who may have more experience than you.
If you’re looking to share and market your fitness journey as a business venture, in order to attain sponsorships or collaborations with influencers, you’ll need to promote yourself in a very specific, tailored way. Consider, for example, how the online casino market uses regional-specific directories to rank its offerings. There are niche markets and specific platforms to celebrate them, which establishes a helpful top ten for local bettors based on factors like bonuses and promotions available and quality of customer reviews. In this sense, sites like this curate the industry to help guide you.
Similarly, fitness and lifestyle blogs and social media accounts are ranked based on organic posting, post engagement, the numbers of active followers, and the quality of sponsorship deals. To get yourself seen by the right accounts, focus on branding yourself authentically, strategically posting to work with social media algorithms, and constantly widening your network so that you’re making lots of connections within the community.
Mix it up till you find what works for you
Some people are early to rise and have their most productive hours in the morning, while others flourish as night owls. By paying attention to your own capabilities, you can adapt your timetable so that you exercise consistently and during a time that’s most beneficial to you.
There are benefits to schemes like intermittent fasting, which may work hand-in-hand with those that prefer fasted morning workouts, versus other activities like communal spin classes, for instance, that are typically held in the early evening to accommodate working folk.
It’s most likely that you’ll learn as you progress, so the only way to find out what works most effectively for you is to go on out there and give it a go! Trial and error until you find what fits.
