Resolution solution: 5 fitness tips to success

January is always the busiest month for people who are frantic to start – or pump up – their physical activity goals for the new year. Although made with the greatest of intentions, your resolutions may be difficult to keep up because you may have set your goals too high. By the time March rolls around, you may be ready to throw in your workout towel.  

So how about trying something new this year? Read the following 5 tips to see if they can help you make a success out of your fitness goals this year. Before you get started, or even if you’ve been active for a while, you may want to look at Health Canada’s readiness questionnaire to determine if you are physically fit to start – and keep up – an activity program. Before starting a physical activity program, it’s best to speak to your healthcare provider first to discuss what is right for you.

Enjoy your activity Try out a variety of ways to be active – salsa classes, badminton, skiing, inline skating – whatever suits your personality. The key is to like what you’re doing so you keep it up. And if you’ve been doing one activity for a while, it may be time to switch it up. Instead of working out on a stationary bicycle, how about signing up for a spin class? Trade a dinner out with friends for a couple of hours with a personal trainer. Remember to be active at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.

Identify your motivators Are you doing this because your doctor encouraged you? Do you want to lose weight? Do you need more energy to play with your kids?  Or if your old motivator isn’t  working for you, find a new inspiration – it could be lowering your blood pressure or wanting to sleep better. Whatever your motivators, identify them, tuck them in the back of your mind or write them down, and remind yourself of them any time you’re feeling unmotivated.

Be SMART Turn your motivator into a goal. Set yourself a long-term SMART goal, meaning it should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic  and Timely. Set a long-term goal as your ideal. For example, your long-term goal may be to lose 25 pounds in six months. This is specific, measurable, attainable (losing one to two pounds a week is do-able) and timely – you have 24 weeks to reach that goal. Support your long-term goal with short-term goals. For example, to do 30 minutes of activity every or most days of the week over the next month – and to eat more vegetables and fruit.

Knock down barriers early If your barrier is that you can’t find 30 minutes to be active on a daily basis, think of solutions ahead of time. If you need a babysitter for your kids, then ask your next-door neighbor or a good friend to help out – and offer to do the same for them. If your workload is too heavy, tell your boss that you need to de-stress at lunchtime and will be going for daily walks.

Have a backup plan If something interferes with your planned activity, be creative. For example, if you can’t go for your evening walk because your daughter has an unscheduled hockey practice, then take your activity to the arena. Walk laps around the rink while the team is on the ice.

Remember that it takes up to 21 days in a row to make your activity a habit, so commit to doing your chosen activity for at least a month to see how you feel. Chances are that your body will begin to crave activity so much that you will feel out of sorts if you aren’t dancing the salsa or swimming laps!

Read about the basic principles of physical activity

Try our exclusive heart-healthy recipes

This physical activity column was written by a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor and reviewed by Foundation experts.

Posted January 2009.