You may have hit the ground running successfully January1st with your health and fitness goals, but about now you may be asking yourself what happened? It is not uncommon for your mojo to fizzle out, but you absolutely can make the changes you originally set out to do. You just may need to tweak and refresh your plan. It’s okay. Take a deep break, and let those shameful feelings go. Let’s do a health and fitness re-boot!
Health and Fitness Setbacks
If your health and fitness plan came to a screeching hault, you are not alone. Researchers claim that only 9% of Americans that make health resolutions complete them. Why does this happen year after year? Perhaps unrealistic goals were set without proper planning, support or forced under pressure. Maybe your goals were not specific or measurable—you winged it. But this time around something different must take place so you can successfully re-boot your health and fitness goals to see long lasting results.
Consider Why your health is important
The decision to re-boot your health and fitness goals requires a powerful reason or your motivation may dwindle once again. This question is vital—why are you setting these goals? What is the driving force behind your why? Make it personal. Do it for you. Why? Because you deserve it! Who cares what everyone is doing on socials. What will your life look like in 3 months if you keep on going? What about next year? Visualize your health and fitness success, because if you can see it you, will believe it. And if you believe it, you will do it!
Lets Start Here
Once you believe your “why,” consider these 4 tips below to push your progress forward into 2024 and beyond.
1. Have a Reality Check of your Health
Find a professional health and fitness assessment to discover those areas you may be overlooking or avoiding. Understanding your current health status from a professional truly is a reality check, one that is crucial for perseverance. Don’t second guess all is well until you check in with someone who will tell you the facts.
Now is best time to visit your doctor for your annual check-up so you can get the real story on your health. A good doctor will discuss general options and direct you to have your blood work done so he can give you the green light for your health and fitness re-boot. You will be provided with your baseline data so that this time next year you just may see those numbers decrease drastically. You’re going to love it when the doctor asks you, “wow, what have you been doing?!” Talk about motivation!
Another great reality check option is to have a consultation with a fitness trainer for for a fitness assessment. Again, having baseline data can awaken preconceived ideas about your fitness health and provide tailored guidelines for success. Be sure to ask the trainer what their assessment entails so that you pick the right one for you. Look for a certified fitness trainer who conducts body measurements, muscle imbalances, mobility, and flexibility assessments.
Make sure they provide a solid nutrition and exercise guidelines for your new health and fitness plan. Look for simple, time saving solutions backed by scientific research that will propel other good habits. One nutritional habit that has impacted my clients and family’s health is Juice Plus fruit and vegetable capsules. It is so difficult to eat the recommended 9-13 servings of fruit and veggies every day. Juice Plus bridges your nutritional gaps, promotes numerous health benefits, plus is backed by over 30 years of clinical research by the top institutions in the world. Who can argue with Mother Nature?!
2. Health and Fitness Accountability
Once you awaken to your need for change, look for that accountability partner to guide your health and fitness goals. Life can be tough and drag you down, but you were never meant to do it alone. This is not weakness of character. Strength is expressed through vulnerability. I like to think of accountability as the outstretched hand at a run-down bridge. If you take hold tight, it will bring you to the other side. An accountability partner will cheer you on, guide you, and push you to the finish line. Your commitment becomes real with a buddy or coach leading and supporting you.
“Some productivity experts have asserted that when you consciously decide you want to complete something you have a 20% chance of achievement. However, when you share your goal with someone the likelihood of success increases to 60% and when you regularly ‘check in’ with someone the chances increase even further to 90%.” Professional academy.com
During the long hopeless seasons the temptation to isolate ourselves is inviting. The need for a health coach or fitness trainer just may be the best choice for proper motivation and effective accountability to support your health and fitness goals. While fitness apps and gym memberships may offer support, the chances are much higher when you have an accountability partner you can count on to check in with you 1-2 times per week. At a minimum, find a walking buddy you can count on.
3. Health and Fitness Progress
The third tip to re-booting your health and fitness goals is with a proper tracking system for your exercise and nutrition. A visible system such as an Apple watch or fitness app can reinforce your commitment to exercise daily. Many people find hitting their daily step and calorie burn goals to be an excellent motivator. Next is monitoring your food intake. Typically, I find clients eat more calories than they actually do. I highly recommend food journaling or if you love technology, try an app like My Fitness Pal.
Overall, a trainer or health coach is the best choice to check progress. I see a big difference in my clients effort when they have the expectation that measurement day is coming. And they are highly motivated when they see the results. Body measurements are vital when strength training is a part of your regimen. If you are eating according to plan and training consistently, muscle mass will increase while body fat decreases. The traditional scale doesn’t tell the whole story. In addition to taking body measurements, some trainers have scales that also measure body fat, muscle mass, and more. Visualizing these numbers provides data to refine your program along the way toward success.
4. Fresh Inspiration Drives you Forward
Lastly, we all need daily inspiration to reboot our health and fitness goals. Inspiration can be found in finding new healthy recipes and creating a bucket list of new activities. Some bucket lists never get crossed off because they are not realistic. I am talking about fun activities that are affordable. For example, playing pickleball, joining a book club, or growing an aeroponic indoor or outdoor garden like the Tower Garden. Maybe you’ve always wanted to take a cooking class, or dance lessons. Go ahead make a list of fun stuff you have been wanting to do. Then mark your calendar one per month, and do it!
Additionally, some people may require extraordinary inspiration to reboot their health and fitness goals. One definition of inspiration is “a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.” You can find this in stillness. Slowing down and checking in with your heart, soul, and mind can be a game changer for not only your health and fitness goal re-boot, but your mental health as well. Everything you do flows from your heart. So if your heart is peaceful, your then your thoughts follow. What do you think about when you wake up in the morning? Do you make time to read inspiring material like a devotional or Bible. What moves you? Have you considered prayer, journaling, and meditation? “People use the practice of meditation to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance.” Healthline.com
Health & Fitness Choices Dictate your Future
You are serious about re-booting your health and fitness goals when you discover why it is important to you. Take a serious look into the future. It is a fact that many health problems are linked to a lack of exercise, excess stress, poor eating, and weight gain. I encourage you to be brave and have a reality check with a health/or fitness professional and find accountability so you can implement a successful program. Inspiration is all around you. Are you ready to re-boot your health and fitness goals? Let’s get started together to awaken vitality, renew your mindset, and experience pure joy in your life that will last.