Kristin Corbin, DNP, is not only passionate about helping people get healthy through medicine, she is also certified personal trainer and fitness expert. She shares some of her best tips for sticking to your fitness goals this year.
The New Year inspires fresh starts, resolutions, and goal setting. It is no surprise that in 2015 the top two New Year’s resolutions were (1) to stay fit and healthy and (2) to lose weight. Yet, it is estimated that only 8% of Americans achieve their resolutions.
This year we want you to beat the odds.
In order to maintain your New Year’s resolution, it is important to be realistic and clearly identify your SMART goal. A SMART goal is an acronym that stands for Specific, Meaningful/Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Timely. Reflect on your SMART goal and ask yourself these questions as it relates to health and fitness for 2016. Make sure to write it down to keep you accountable and motivated.
Specific: What do you want to achieve?
Meaningful/Measurable: Why is this goal important to you? How will you measure your success?
Action oriented: What steps are you going to take to achieve it?
Realistic: How do you know that you can achieve this goal? Make sure to set yourself up for success, not failure.
Timely: By when do you want to achieve this goal?
Now that you have defined your health and fitness goals for 2016, here are some quick tips to keep you fit throughout the year. Remember these three words to help you be successful: Accountability, Positivity, Convenience.
Accountability: Find a fitness accountability partner. For example, plan to meet a friend every Tuesday and Thursday for a workout at the park. Make it fun and social. Motivate one another and don’t let your partner fail.
Be financially invested. Sign up for group fitness classes, a gym membership or personal training sessions. You don’t want to waste your money, right?
Purchase a pedometer to keep you accountable. Track your activity and aim for 8,000-10,000 steps per day. One of my favorite pedometers is the FitBit. This pedometer syncs with your smart phone, My Fitness Pal and FitBit scales to give a comprehensive view of your health. If you are a number’s person, a device like this is for you!
Positivity: Always love yourself
No matter what the scale says, remember why you are eating well and staying active. Achieving health and wellness is far beyond the numbers on the scale. If you are relying on exercise to lose weight, you can become disappointed and give up if the numbers are not going down as fast as you would like. Keep in mind all of the reasons to workout beyond weight loss, like to relieve stress or to feel empowered and strong.
Another way to help you stay positive is to write down encouraging and motivating quotes on a sticky note and place them on your mirror. Negative self-talk will discourage you and ultimately cause you to be unsuccessful. Courage and positive self-talk will lead to self-confidence and success.
I once read this quote that said, “Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” As cheesy and cliché as this quote may be, it is so true. Life is too short for negative self-talk and unnecessary comparison. Each day is gift—a beautiful and wonderful gift. Embrace the body you have today and stay positive. If you love your body, you will be more inclined to want to take care of it and successfully achieve this year’s resolution.
Convenience: If your workout routine is not convenient, you will not stick with it. Do not choose a gym that is out of the way because, trust me, it will be much easier to come up with an excuse not to go, such as traffic or time constraints.
Always have a back up plan. I highly recommend downloading the 7-Minute Workout app to your smart phone. If you are limited for time, you can always squeeze in this full body 7-minute workout. Yes, you heard me right: ONLY 7 minutes. Try it out for yourself!
Another one of my favorite apps for convenience is Nike + Training Club. This app is similar to an at home personal trainer. You get to choose from over 100 workouts to keep you on track. With this app you can workout at home, at the park, at the gym or in a hotel room.
Make this year the year you have NO excuses. This is going to be one of your best years yet. Stay tuned for further blogs to keep you encouraged and motivated throughout 2016.
To a healthy & happy year!
Kristin M Corbin, DNP, FNP-C, PT-C
