How To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Last

Alright, New Year’s eve has come and gone and now you have this list that you made of New Year’s Resolutions, one of which may be working out more often. This is my soapbox on why working out shouldn’t be one of those resolutions that you start in January and then drop by February. I hope for you to keep it up, forever. Hopefully, I can provide more than just a position on working out and can also impart some tips on how to keep it up including lifestyle factors that will contribute to being healthier in general.

Keep it up, forever.

Here are a list of health benefits that a regular workout routine can provide your body:

Reduce the risk of all-cause mortality

Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

Reduce the risk of stroke

Reduce the risk of diabetes or the impact of diabetes

Improve mental health

Improve blood pressure ratios

Improved bone density

Improved cholesterol levels

Building a regular workout routine is hard…don’t let anyone fool you. I’ve worked out 5-6 days a week for years and EVERY day is a battle of whether I should go in to the gym or I can sit this day out. I’m too sore, I don’t have enough time, I did it yesterday, I flat out don’t want to, I’m tired, I don’t know what to do, etc. There is always an excuse.

Building a regular workout routine is hard…

Here are my tips to begin making exercise a regular practice:

Schedule your workout for the same time every day

If possible, schedule it in the morning before work

Set a start and end time

If you miss the morning and can’t reschedule during the evening, take a walk after dinner or after the kids are put to bed

If you miss the gym, do a bodyweight workout at home

Put on your favorite show and run a circuit of exercises until the show is over

Try different types of working out…running or lifting is not for everyone

Working out is only half the picture to gaining and maintaining any sort of fitness. If your effort with your nutrition doesn’t match the effort of your workouts, you may not be reaping the full benefits of your plan. Here is my dime store, internet expert advice on nutrition:

Eat whole foods

Begin to read and understand food labels
- Those companies are tricky

Eat lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and poly-mono- unsaturated fats

Avoid items that list more than 20g of sugars in them. That’s a lot of sugar at once!

A nutritious plate looks like ¼ lean protein, ¼ complex carbs, and 2/4 vegetables

Make your own sauces, it’s not super hard
- Nick’s super secret Asian sauce: sriracha, rice wine vinegar, sesame seed oil, garlic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, fish sauce

If your effort with your nutrition doesn’t match the effort of your workouts, you may not be reaping the full benefits of your plan.

One last tip to starting and maintaining a fitness routine: don’t give up because you missed a workout. Forgive yourself and start again tomorrow.

As always, we hope this helps! If you have any questions or if you would like to read about certain topics, feel free to send us an email at TeamSP@SportsPerformancePT.com.

-Dr. Nick Schroeder PT, DPT, CSCS