It’s now January and it’s time to start those fitness goals you set for yourself during your new year’s resolutions! It’s an exciting time to take on the challenge and make this change. What better time than the start of 2017 to make sure you get yourself in shape, healthy, and ready for warmer weather?
Most people that look great in the summer worked for it the winter before, making no time like the present to get started. How do you get in the workout spirit when the weather’s cold, the holidays are over, and you’re craving a beach vacation? Use these seven tips to kick start your 2017 fitness goals knowing that you’ll feel great in that swimsuit when it’s time for that beach vacation later this year!
Go shopping
While you were excited about those fitness goals when you wrote them down, you may not be feeling the excitement now. The hardest part about this process will be actually getting started and one way to make the process exciting from the start is to go shopping for some new workout gear. Get rid of your old baggy t-shirts and worn out running shoes; it’s time go shopping.
Treating yourself to some great new kicks, your favorite new sports bra, and comfortable clothes that fit you well will make working out more comfortable and enjoyable. The best part is that it will be easy to feel the pounds coming off when you notice these same clothes start to fit differently in a few month after you’ve put the work in. Then you can go shopping again when you’re ready for some new gear!
Talk to a trainer
Perhaps you struggle with motivation or knowing how to work out properly. It’s a great time to work with a trainer to get in shape and to do it safely. Many gyms offer free trainers with your membership and in other cases, you could hire a trainer that helps you train outdoors or accompanies you to the gym.
You may even like the idea of fitness classes where you are following the lead of an instructor, like CrossFit, yoga, Pilates, cycling, or a fitness boot camp. Sometimes it takes the push of a leader to help you through the motions and be available for questions.
Grab a partner
Do you have more fun working out when you have a friend to join you? It’s a great time to recruit a workout buddy to make working out fun. You could even grab a whole group that works out together or grab a few friends to take a class together. Friends will not only make it more fun, but they’ll keep you motivated and excited about your next gym day.
Change your diet
If you’re in the process of learning about healthier food options, start with small changes while you get the hang of things. Swap out your fries for a salad, your pancakes for eggs and sausage, and remove as much sugar from your diet as possible. Once you start to learn about healthier options, you’ll find that your favorite breads, pastas, and hamburgers can be substituted for better options too.
Increase the water
While you’re increasing your exercise and cutting from your diet, make sure you are hydrating more than ever. Sometimes when you’re hungry, it’s your body telling you that you’re actually dehydrated. Bring water with you to your workouts and be sure to drink water before meals and when you wake up in the morning.
Set reasonable goal
Take a look at your goals to make sure you’ve set realistic ones in the first place. It’s important to set achievable goals so that you can meat different milestones throughout the process. Committing to working out 7 days per week doesn’t give your body a rest while once per week may be too little to meet your goals.
Committing to a certain weight by a certain date may be a challenge too. Focus on meeting your fitness and healthy eating goals and watch the weight change and muscles improve naturally without a deadline or unhealthy tactics.
Technology is your friend
Lastly, a great trick that many are using these days is getting technology involved in their goals. Using online trackers like MyFitnessPal will help you to track your food and burnt calories. Get a wearable device that will help you track your heart rate, calories burnt, and even your sleep. Seeing weight loss or progress in your workout time will keep you motivated too.
It’s a hard time of year to be motivated in anything but you can do it with a few tricks. Try these seven ways to get you started to meet your 2017 goals!
