Making Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution a Reality – Part 2

Beware of “burn out.” This usually happens after you have
achieved a short-term goal. You pat yourself on the back and
decide to “kick it up a notch,” but your body is at the limit.
You have to listen to your body. Although you can make
improvements “in leaps and bounds,” it is not a machine.

Use different approaches: Walk, use cardio machines, swim, and
use weights. If you are bored, jump into a group fitness class
such as Yoga, Pilates, cardio kickboxing, spinning, aerobics,
body shaping, or something else. You may find one of them to be
your “calling.”

Don’t knock anything until you have tried it. Many people
perceive an exercise to be one thing, until they are deeply
involved in it. There’s nothing wrong with being the only man in
a Yoga class. Also, there’s nothing wrong with being the only
woman in a martial arts class.

Fitness is an equal opportunity environment, so get the
stereotypes out of your head and don’t buy into classic excuses.
I had a client with Cerebral Palsy on one side of her body. She
had also been involved in a traffic accident, which caused
permanent damage to her knee and ankle, on the other side of her
body.

She used to drive an hour from her home in Massachusetts to our
location in North Providence, Rhode Island. She was around 60
pounds over her ideal weight. She never made excuses or missed
an appointment. She lost all of that weight within two years,
and she is now a personal trainer.

Make sure the people you surround yourself with are supportive
of your goals. For example: It’s hard to lose weight if your
husband insists on bringing home a supply of Big Macs every
night. Your resolution may turn into a disaster if this is the
case.

You may have to adjust your lifestyle to be persistent,
positive, and goal oriented. Once you carry through, and succeed
with one resolution, it will be a fantastic experience. This is
the beginning of using goal-setting skills to enhance the
quality of your entire life.

Lastly, remember this all started with writing down a plan that
I mentioned in Part One. Your resolution should be as detailed
as possible. Clearly define your resolution with realistic time
frames and deadlines. Your odds of following through, making
progress, and reaching your goals, will exponentially increase
just by putting it in writing. Consider this a contract with
yourself.

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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