It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of New Year’s resolutions, especially when it comes to new year fitness goals. You might even have a history of setting goals for the new year, only to find yourself on January 1st saying, “I’ll start tomorrow, I swear.”
Before you know it, you’re curled up on the couch, devouring the ears of a milk chocolate bunny at Easter time.
It happens.
The good news? Kickstarting your New Year’s fitness goals doesn’t have to be a chore or something you dread thinking about. And it doesn’t matter if your fitness plan is to get back in the gym to build muscle, shed a few pounds, or simply add a bit of activity to your daily routine. If your favorite way to get moving is by walking, that’s great! Slip on a pair of walking shoes for women or men and get moving. Or, if you are an avid biker, think of ways you can incorporate it into your daily routine, like biking to and from work.
The even better news? You’ll find plenty of ways to get—and stay—motivated in the new year right here.
8 Simple Ways to Help Achieve Your Fitness Goals
Being motivated and staying motivated can be two different things.
Here are eight easy ideas you can use to help kickstart your New Years’ fitness resolution and maintain your motivation each month. Who knows? Next year you might end up having friends and family asking you to motivate them.
#1 Start Small
You can do anything you set your mind to, but sometimes starting small and working your way up is the best thing.
Planning to set a big fitness goal this year? No problem. Break it into small chunks, almost like a series of mini-goals. You can then celebrate each little (but mighty!) victory as you move along.
#2 Be Realistic
Never been a good runner, cycler, or swimmer? Then setting a fitness goal to complete a triathlon in a few months might not be realistic. But, setting out to successfully complete a 5k run for charity by Easter is reasonable.
Being realistic works hand-in-hand with starting small. You might actually want to train for and complete a triathlon which is a sizable goal to set. Shooting for the stars might be your personality—and we fully support that.
It just might mean you have to be more realistic by breaking your goals into smaller milestones.
According to statistics, almost 80% of people fail at accomplishing their New Year’s resolutions by February.1 Aim to be part of the minority by structuring your fitness goals like this:
- Set both short-term and long-term benchmarks to reach
- Start slow with lower intensity
- Begin with a shorter duration and measure your progress
- Stay patient and keep pushing
#3 Ask a Friend to Join
Having a friend join your fitness journey will likely increase the chances of reaching your goals.2 Plus, having a friend around to join in on your winter workout can make for a more fun, shared experience. You can keep each other motivated along the way and be one another’s support system.
There’s likely going to be mornings or evenings where you just don’t feel like exercising. Your friend can give that much-needed kickstart (or kick in the rear).
#4 Find Something You Enjoy and Make It Fun
If you’ve always hated the thought of running, forcing yourself to do so every day might not be the best fitness goal to set. Instead, think of the things you enjoy doing to help make reaching your fitness goals more exciting. Maybe try cycling or get back into an activity you loved to do when you were younger.
You can even try something completely new and unique, like goat yoga, hula hooping, or a mermaid swim class. Whatever your goal, making it something you actually look forward to can be a fundamental part of not only beginning your New Year’s fitness goals but achieving them too.
#5 Write Down What You Want to Achieve
Research shows that you’re more likely to achieve a goal when you write it down.3 The reason being? When it’s scribbled down on a sticky note or logged on a spreadsheet, it becomes actionable instead of just a thought in your head. It also helps hold yourself accountable.
Keep a fitness diary and write down your New Year’s workout plan or post to social media about the journey you’re going to start. Your friends and family can end up being your biggest cheerleaders, passionately encouraging you and screaming your name from the sidelines.
#6 Download an App
A little extra help can go a long way, and an app can help you stay accountable and on track to reach your fitness goals. There are a lot of choices out there, from simple apps that track the distance you’ve run to more in-depth technologies that allow you to monitor your progress, heart rate, and calories burned from start to finish.
Make the most of app motivation by:
- Turning on daily push notifications to give you the extra nudge you need to get moving.
- Tapping into data trackers to monitor your progress over time. Sometimes, there’s nothing quite like specific numbers and digits to help you feel really freaking good about how far you’ve come.
- Enabling in-workout encouragement. Who knows? An AI trainer rooting for you in your ear could be just what you need to log a new personal best.
#7 Find the Right Music & Fit
What gets you movin’ and groovin’? A little hip hop or R&B? The latest chart-toppers in pop or EDM? Remember, it doesn’t have to be music either. It could be a podcast or audiobook if that’s what works for you. Take some time to put together the perfect playlist to accompany you, whether you’re at the gym, on the trails, or in your at-home yoga studio.
Why not complement your new playlist with a new gym fit, too? Splurge on a stylish workout set, an insulated water bottle, or a fresh pair walking shoes for men or women. New gear to go along with your regimen can sometimes be all the motivation you need to get going.
#8 Take Some Selfies
The New Year’s fitness goals you set might revolve around losing weight, becoming healthier, or simply making lifestyle changes to help you look and feel your best. Yet, stepping on a scale doesn’t have to be the primary way to measure your progress.
Take a selfie the first day you start and continue doing it each day of your journey. You’ll be able to actually see your progress instead of relying on numbers as a benchmark.
Start Small and Walk From There
Before the ball drops, there’s one more thing we want to mention when it comes to approaching your exercise regimen with tenacity and grit: setting SMART goals.
One of the reasons many people don’t achieve their fitness goals is because they’re not realistic.4 Sure, you might have an ideal scenario for where you want to be. But reaching a goal of any kind means you have to start somewhere.
Instead of setting lofty goals that you can’t sustain, start small. Think of it in terms of the SMART goal system:5
- Specific – What do you want to get out of your fitness goals? Do you want to build more muscle or start a weight loss journey? Maybe you want to work towards doing more pushups or running a half-marathon in a few months. Being specific helps your goals become attainable.
- Measurable – Setting a benchmark and tracking your objectives helps you know how close you are to achieving them. How much weight do you want to lose or how many pushups do you want to do at once? Not only does this help you see your end goal, but you can also measure your progress along the way.
- Achievable – If you’ve never been much of a yogi, mastering crow pose by next week probably isn’t an achievable or realistic goal to set for yourself. But, building up your core strength in boat pose is a stepping stone that’ll help get you there. If you have a big goal, break it into smaller, more achievable goals first.
- Relevant – Committing to hitting the gym five nights a week is doable. But will it work best with your lifestyle or personal circumstances? Maybe you work long hours or have a young family. If that’s the case, try and set your fitness goals to work with your schedule. That way, you’re setting yourself up for success by outlining a routine you can actually commit to.
- Time-bound – Open-ended fitness goals are harder to achieve because they don’t provide the same motivation. When you set realistic timeframes, it becomes easier to plan, schedule, and dedicate the right amount of time. Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds in 2 months. Mark today’s date and the date by which you want to achieve that weight loss goal, and then work towards it.
Get Motivated in the New Year with Vionic Shoes
Everyone gets motivated in different ways. What works for someone else might not work for you. But, by following one or more of the eight tips outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to a successful, purpose-driven new year.
Whenever you’re in need of a workout partner that can keep up with your newfound motivation, look to Vionic. Featuring a diverse collection of active sneakers for both men and women, our kicks will keep you comfortable and supported as you step into your new routine.
Lace up today and make this New Year the best one yet.
Sources:
- Schrader, Jessica. “Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail.” Psychology Today. 5 December, 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/modern-mentality/201812/why-new-years-resolutions-fail
- “Exercise with a friend.” Better health. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Exercise-with-a-friend
- Murphy, Mark. “Why do you need to write down your goals if you actually want to achieve them.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2018/04/15/neuroscience-explains-why-you-need-to-write-down-your-goals-if-you-actually-want-to-achieve-them/?sh=5039372c7905
- Waehner, Paige. “How to Set Realistic Fitness Goals.” Verywell Fit. Updated 6 June, 2021. https://www.verywellfit.com/setting-realistic-fitness-goals-1229925
- Boogaard, Kat. “How to write SMART goals.” Atlassian. 26 December, 2021. https://www.atlassian.com/blog/productivity/how-to-write-smart-goals