Seven Ways to Keep Your Fitness Resolutions in 2020

2020 is fast approaching. It’s your year to crush those fitness goals and achieve the new you.

We all love to set goals for the new year. One of the top resolutions year-after-year is to get fit and lose weight. According to one study of 200 participants, 77 percent of people maintain this goal for the first week. Yet only 19 percent enact a lifestyle change, exercising two years later.

Don’t let your New Year’s resolution fall by the wayside. Instead, crush those doughnut cravings and hit the treadmill. Boost your enthusiasm with the seven tips below.

1. Set SMART Goals
Let’s face it — if your couch bears a permanent dent, you’re likely not ready to run a marathon by February 1. If you want to achieve your fitness goals, make them SMART:

Specific: Vague objectives won’t help you achieve much. Set a specific goal, like “perform 25 push-ups in 10 minutes.”
Measurable: How do you know if you’ve reached your goal? How will you measure it? Perhaps you want to lose 15 pounds. Maybe you want to run a mile in 10 minutes.
Attainable: Set goals that are reachable. If you pick unreasonable goals, you’ll set yourself up for failure. You can’t lose 15 pounds in a week, for example. Yet you can lose 15 pounds in three months.
Realistic: Unless you spend a lot of money — and risk the consequences — to use illicit steroids, you’re not going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Expecting to look like a world-class model or bodybuilder isn’t realistic.
Time-based: If you stick to someday, it will kill your dreams. Instead, give yourself a time frame. For example, you may want to train for a 5K in three months or fit into a smaller dress size by the next year.

2. Program Your Mind Positively
We often treat ourselves like enemies through negative self-talk. You may think, “I didn’t get to the gym today. I’ll never get in shape. I’m a failure.” You can see many of the same thinking patterns in addicts who give up on their decision to get sober. To succeed in your 2020 fitness goals, you need to nix the negative mindset and reprogram your brain with positive messages.

If it’s raining the day you planned a long run, don your earbuds and hit the treadmill instead. If you end up working late and miss the gym, don’t beat yourself up. Evaluate what you can do the next time you get busy. Perhaps you can walk the stairs during your lunch break. Remember not to beat yourself up. Tell yourself, “I’m human, and like everyone, I mess up.” View a mistake as an opportunity to improve.

3. Put Workouts in Your Planner
Chances are, you use a planner app or book to keep track of your to-do list. Show your commitment to fitness by writing down your workouts in your daily schedule. This practice gives you a tangible reminder of your goal. Plus, it’s a way to mark small celebrations along the way. Log the first time you heft a 25-pound dumbbell, for example.

4. Phone a Friend
It’s harder to ditch your workout if your best friend is waiting at spin class. Find a partner and commit to helping each other reach your fitness goals. Decide on the level of support you want to provide. Some exercise buddies get together once a week for a bike ride or hike. Others like an accountability partner they can text when they feel the temptation to eat cake.

5. Find Something You Love
If riding the elliptical makes you feel like a hamster, switch it up! You can find tons of new fitness classes and trends on the market today. From hybrid yoga classes to sultry exotic dance workouts, find something that makes you want to hit the gym.

6. Ensure Your Workout Fits Your Lifestyle
Do you rush from the office to the soccer field to pick up the little ones, then dart home to get dinner on the table? If your lifestyle is hectic, chances are you’ll grow to resent a time-consuming routine.

If you opt to join a gym, try to find one between the office and home. If you have to drive more than 5 to 10 minutes out of your way, it’s easier to pass up. If you don’t have the time, download a fitness app, and workout at home. Many apps cost relatively little compared to a gym membership.

7. Plan Great Rewards
Getting fit is a reward in-and-of-itself. Yet it’s more fun when a prize waits at the finish line. Plan ways to celebrate reaching your milestones.

If your budget is tight, treat yourself to a spa day at home. Pour a relaxing bubble bath and let your partner massage your muscles. Do you have a tidy bankroll? If so, plan a weekend getaway when you hit your milestone. Just don’t overindulge at the buffet while you’re away.

Keep Your Fitness Resolutions This Coming New Year 
You don’t have to make 2020 another year of throwing in the towel. Keep these simple tips in mind and make the coming new year your fittest one yet!