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WHAT'S NEW
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5 reasons fitness New Year's resolutions fail
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Explore factors that derail fitness resolutions and find out how you can sidestep these pitfalls on the path to success.
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By Tammy Sutherland
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A new year means a clean slate so it's the perfect time to create a new fitness plan. You'll likely start off well: You won't eat pancakes for dinner. You won't spent money on heels that are too high to wear. And you won't even skip a single workout. But a little voice in the back of your head reminds you that you didn't stick to last year's fitness resolution. Or the one you made the year before. And you just can't figure out why.
Gisele Tennant, a YMCA manager from Calgary, identifies the top five reasons that well-intentioned fitness resolutions fail and offers tools to help make this year's resolution stick.
Reason #1 why fitness resolutions fail: Setting goals that aren't SMART
We all know how important it is to have goals, but do you know what makes a SMART goal?
"SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely," explains Tennant. "For example, saying I want to lose 30 pounds in a month is a specific, measurable and timely goal, but NOT attainable or realistic."
Solution for a resolution that works: Tennant not only encourages people to determine goals that meet the SMART requirements, but also to identify barriers that may interfere with reaching those goals and draft a menu of strategies to deal with these barriers. Therefore, if you plan to go to a yoga class every Monday and Wednesday, but another commitment suddenly comes up on a Monday, you can use your backup strategy of going to a Thursday class or subbing in a different workout. "It helps to be prepared."
Reason #2 why fitness resolutions fail: Doing what you think you should do rather than what you enjoy
When you're looking for inspiration, it's easy to find it in someone else's success. That's why you end up strapping on a new pair of running shoes after your best friend finishes her first 10K. But it's time to ask yourself what you like to do. "People think that they need to do what their friend is doing or what they see other people doing, even if they don't enjoy the exercise," says Tennant.
Solution for a resolution that works: "The only exercise that you will stick to is the one you enjoy." Tennant suggests making a list of your favourite activities and then incorporating them into your everyday life. "For example if you do not like cycling on a stationary bike, choose another exercise for your cardio. Perhaps you prefer walking."
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