Small Goals, Big Change
THE NEW YEAR IS HERE and people are talking about resolutions. Resolutions can be overwhelming and hard to put into action. Starting to move and setting smaller goals are actionable and can be attainable.
I hear a lot of people say, “I want to lose weight”, “I know if I workout I’ll feel better” or “I need to lose 10 lbs before I go to the gym.” The beauty about starting to move and workout is simple: it doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming for you to get on the right track. Right now, today, you can start on your path to a healthier you.
Here are 5 tips I give clients that are easy to achieve but can start them on a life-long wellness journey:
1) Start small, build slowly: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you are not going to jump into two-a-day or hour-long workouts. In fact, I recommend you don’t overdo it in the beginning, because this is a sure fire way to end up with an injury, which could set you back weeks. If you aren’t working out or moving at all, have a goal of one 10-minute walk every day for a week. The next week, aim for 15 minutes or two 10-minute walks per day. If you prefer to run, add a quarter mile to your run each time you are out, and pretty soon you’ll grow your runs from ½ mile to 3 miles! Slowly build your activity time to help you reach 30 to 60 minutes a day of movement. Here is a short video that explains how walking 30 minutes a day can really improve your health and wellness.
2) Have a workout buddy: A great way to stay on a plan is to have encouragement to keep moving. Also, sharing and talking about your fitness goals will keep you in check – if you are telling people your plan, you are more than likely to do it. Nothing like a little accountability to help keep you on track.
3) Track your movements: Speaking of staying on track, write down and record your progress. There are many tools available online such as MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper. Using excel and keeping a journal are other options. You can invest in devices to track your steps, such as a Fitbit or Withings. Finally, there are many apps that can help you track your activity, such as Apple’s Health App. This is not only motivating but can be an interesting insight into how much you move.
4) Use music to your advantage: Music is motivating of course, but how about saving it to the last half of your workout as a motivator and reward? Try going sans music the first half, then it will give you something to look forward to the last half. You’ll be surprised how big of a motivator it can be!
5) Celebrate milestones: Now, we aren’t celebrating milestones with a pizza or extra serving of dessert. But, it is important that you celebrate when you reach your weekly/monthly/activity goal. The more you start to move, you will realize the reward is how great you feel and how much more energy you will have. We can all do with an incentive to get us through tough times in our wellness journey. One of my top rewards is going for a mani/pedi. It may sound silly, but for me having a nice leg massage really feels good on any sore muscles I may have from my workouts. So, figure out what your personal reward should be, and go ahead and indulge AFTER you have reached your goals.
6) Visualize the after workout feeling to motivate! This is my go-to when motivating for a work out. People assume that since I am a fitness professional, I have no problem with motivation. This is not true! Getting up before 6am to get that early morning workout in is not fun. For me, getting out of bed is worse than the workout itself. I have to completely focus on how great I will feel after I workout and how mad I will be at myself for not doing it. This is the secret – the only person who is directly benefiting from you taking care of yourself is you. Can you see the person you want to be? Are you ready to start your journey to your better self? If you are, start back at tip #1 and lets go!
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Written by: Caitriona Taylor // VP of Sales at Crane & Lion // Certified Spinning Instructor // RYT 500 Yoga Teacher