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5 Tips to Stay on Track with Your Fitness Goals this Winter
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Updated: Fri 4/22/2011 10:35 pm
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The leaves are changing and have already begun to flood the lawns and
streets (at least here in St. Louis, maybe not for my friends in San Diego).
That means it's going to start getting cold soon and it’s going to be
much more difficult to get outside and get the exercise your body needs.
Don't get caught up in the winter funk and let your workouts dwindle
simply because it's getting dark a little earlier and the temperature is
dropping.
Odds are you have a gym membership, so be sure to use it.
If you don't have one there are plenty of good deals out there; or simply
invest in a few workout videos to do in your home. Figure out what will
motivate you best. Like anything worth
doing, sticking to a fitness plan is not easy and really needs to be something
that you decide to make part of your life plan, not just when you need to drop
a few pounds. Someone once told me, “going
ON a diet is no good, because it implies that you will at some time go OFF the
same diet.” I have found that to be a very true statement with most
people. The same is true with a workout
program. It shouldn’t be a temporary thing;
it has to become part of your routine.
As a trainer, it can often be very
challenging to keep a client focused on why they are coming in to see me. It’s not so I, as the trainer, can magically
transform them into the Greek god/goddess that they want to  be. It’s to help guide them down a path to better
health and show them how to begin to manage a healthy lifestyle for themselves
and their family. Without some
accountability in this department, my clients would never see their results
last for the long term. To help combat the typical
winter slump that so many of us repeatedly fall into, here are the 5 most affective
tips to help you stay focused on your fitness goals. These will be beneficial for both the person
that has been working out for years and the fitness newbie. . . 1. Get
a baseline: As in any endeavor, you
need to know where you are in order to get where you want to go. For example, if someone dropped you in the
middle of the desert with a compass and a map, and said “Your destination is
Phoenix,” you would need to know where you are before you could even use the
map, right? The same is true here. Get some measurements of your waist, arms, or
whatever areas concern you. Then you can
begin to plan your journey. Find out what your
weight or body fat percentage is and take a few pictures of yourself. I have found that nothing motivates someone
more than seeing an unflattering picture of one’s self. Then, after a few weeks, take another. I guarantee you’ll see a positive difference
and it will motivate you even more, because your hard work is paying off (that’s
why all of the workout programs and diet pills have before and after pics, it
shows that people are seeing results). 2. Set
a goal: Sounds pretty simple, right? I bet 90% of people in the gym do not have a
specific goal in mind when they are training/dieting. Most people simply feel that by putting their
time in the gym, the results will happen.
Well, I hate to tell you, but if you’re not working toward a specific
goal, you’ll never really know how much you’ve improved, or how far you need to
go. If you want to release 10lbs., then shout it from the rooftops (notice I
said “release,” because if you “lose” them, there is a good chance you might
find them again!). Make your intention
clear.
3. Find
a Buddy: This might be the number one way to make yourself accountable for getting
your workouts in. If you know that your
buddy is going to be at the gym, you are much less likely to disappoint them by
not showing up. A buddy also creates a
significant support system that allows you to lean on someone when you are
having a rough day or don’t feel like working out. And you will provide that same support for
them. We all have off days, your buddy
should challenge you to work even harder on those days. 4. Write
down it down: Document what you are doing each time you go to the gym. This way you know how hard you pushed yourself
last time and you can push it just a bit harder the next time. It’s a great way to make improvements in
strength, cardio fitness and simply the intensity in your workouts. You can also use this tip to track your
eating habits. A food log can be a very
helpful tool.5. Create
a Risk and/or a Reward: When you have something at risk, it’s easier to
find that energy to make the right choice in those questionable
situations. It can be an extremely
powerful motivator. In the same respect,
when you have a reward waiting for you, but you can’t have it until you achieve
your goal, you will think twice before you skip a workout or go for that
cookie! As an example of both, I have
heard stories of people looking to release weight that have spent large amounts
of $ on clothes that don’t fit them yet.
The risk is in the fact that if they don’t reach their goal, they have wasted
a bunch of money, and the reward, when they do reach the goal, is that they
have a whole new wardrobe that makes them look and feel great. The trick is to make it a real risk/reward. Something that will really motivate you, not
just something that you will blow off.
You can also use your buddy here to help hold you accountable to the
risk you decide.
 If you implement these 5 tactics into your routine, I
guarantee you will experience a massive shift in your commitment level to your
workouts and eating habits. And
ultimately, that’s what it comes down to; commitment. We’ve all got our excuses and our reasons as
to why it hasn’t worked in the past, but if we are truly honest with ourselves,
our results show us whether we are truly committed or not. Not that it’s an easy road, because it
absolutely is not, but we have to face those obstacles head on and realize that
we can reach our goals despite those things, if we make our intention strong
enough!
Take these tips and put them into practice
tomorrow. Make this the best and most
fit winter you’ve ever dreamt of. I
promise you will be happy when everyone else is complaining about how much
weight they have gained over the holidays and what they promise to do next year
to change it. No need for a New Year’s
resolutions for you, just stick to the routine!
Jeff Pelizzaro, MPT
Performance United Fitness
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