Like many, you may be kicking the year off by instilling new habits, chasing new goals and of course trying a new fitness routine. Our fitness team is sharing simple fitness tips to help you stay motivated all year long!

Fitness Tip #1: Discover Movement You Enjoy 

A good place to start is to discover movement or exercise you find gratifying. This can be very unique and personal to each individual. 

If you are someone who dreads going into a public gym alone, you may be better served going with a friend or joining a group exercise class like spin, yoga, or barre. If you are someone who finds traditional weight training mundane, you may be better served going with more non-traditional options like rock climbing or swimming. If you are someone who feels empowered by competition or chasing performance goals, you may be best served training for a more fringe sport like oly, powerlifting or cross-training. 

When you enjoy what you are doing, you are much more likely to commit to something you enjoy. And there are so many options out there to add exercise to your lifestyle!

Fitness Tip #2: Anything is Better Than Nothing

Everyone has something to gain from daily activity. Whether it is a rigorous new weight loss routine or a weekend stroll in the park with the family, there’s something to gain.

Before you find yourself overwhelmed with options of where to start or frankly overcommit, remember that any movement is better than none. If you are like many ambitious individuals at the start of the new year, consider allowing yourself flexibility. Much like with work calendars or home agendas, life is not always predictable and plans change. 

Instead of: Only committing to a weekday 5pm spin class or not exercising at all.

Try: Committing but being flexible to riding your bike at home when your spouse needs you to pick-up the kids from school.

Or 

Instead of: Only committing to a Saturday morning Boot Camp or not exercising at all. 

Try: Committing but being flexible to a moderate or vigorous jog around the neighborhood when you are short on time due to out-of-town commitments.

Allow yourself the grace to recognize that if you are beginning from a place of little to no planned activity or exercise, every minute now invested is already 100% more than before. 

Fitness Tip #3: Use Old Habits to Form New Habits

At some point, we’ve all struggled with the question of: "How long does it take for results to show?" The answer: it depends on how much time and effort you're willing to put in consistently. Consistency is key to your fitness journey as your efforts will add up and compound over time. Closely related to emotions, motivation is wildly unpredictable and fleeting but habits are not.

Think about your current habits–rituals and behaviors you perform automatically, grounded with consistency. Your habits are products of your behavior, accumulated over repeated instances. Pairing old habits to build new ones (exercise) is much better than sitting around, waiting for motivation to hit you. Consider the following:

• Pair your workouts with non-negotiables. Dedicate a block of time to workouts alongside daily tasks like packing, commuting or meal breaks. Whether it is 15 minutes or 60 minutes, dedicate any time available.
• Start small. Decrease your likelihood of resistance by trying to make as little change to your daily routine as possible.
• Log your workouts. A simple checkmark can go a long way and having a visual reminder of your workout streak (daily planner or calendar) can empower you to keep going. 

Keep up the good work and let us know how your new fitness routines are coming along! For questions or support with your fitness training program, contact us today.  

Team Active content is not medical advice; it's inspiration to live actively! 

This article is copy-write protected and an example of the resources Active Wellness provides to clients. It may be shared by including a link to the article in your communications by linking to this webpage and including attribution in your communication: “provided by Active Wellness

Anna Shaw is a certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer for her site with Active Wellness. Anna’s personal fitness philosophy is: “exercise, fitness, and wellness should be fun - not something that comes at the expense of your life balance.” In her free time she enjoys working out at F45, going on hikes with her family, dancing, and doing creative DIY home decor projects. 

Brando Caballero is a Senior Lifestyle Coordinator supporting his multi-tenant fitness center through remote programming, leading virtual classes, in-person & virtual personal training, along with collaborating with his peers on innovative initiatives like exercise programming. He's been coping through these times by enjoying evening walks with his mini-schnauzer Wallie.