While ringing in the New Year, self-reflection is almost unavoidable. Yet with work, kids, family, school, and relationships—it’s easy for the mind to focus on what has to be done for others and throw ‘self’ on the back-burner.
With the body serving as the control center to achieving greatness, we want to encourage and lead others to their greatest mission in 2017—a healthier and happier version of themselves.
Once you prioritize your wellbeing and embrace new healthy habits, the desire will become second nature and your body, sleep habits and energy levels will thank you. Get out there and get it!
- Discover your Routine: Establishing a workout routine is vital to tackling your exercise goals. Play around with which days and times hitting the gym work best with your schedule. Once your mind and body get into the steady, consistent habit of attendance, the vision becomes clearer and the sweat sesh becomes a part of your new life routine.
- Find your Why: There will be days when the scale doesn’t match your efforts and the gym seems daunting. That’s why it’s important to write down or constantly remind yourself why you’re making a change for the better. Your reasoning will serve as the drive and motivation to dig deeper.
- Track Eating Habits: This is not to say that you will always have to count calories or macros but it can be a real eye opener in the beginning to see exactly what you’re consuming throughout the day. By focusing on your eating habits, you may find you’ve been neglecting a food group or over consuming sodium or sugar.
- Embrace the Power of Weights: Muscle burns fat, so the incorporation of weight training into your workout routine is an effective route in becoming leaner and increasing muscle definition.
- Prepare for Nights Out: There will always be holidays, birthdays and celebrations to take into account, especially when you think about all the food and drinks that accompany a good time. Plan ahead by adding in an extra workout, eating a healthy snack before dinner, and viewing the menu ahead of time to see what can fit best into your diet. There’s no need to get down on yourself if you slip, but it’s important that gatherings aren’t viewed as a free for all. Also, oftentimes, restaurants are willing to work with your healthy diet – don’t be afraid to ask!
- Play Around: Once you begin the second month, you may notice that your go-to workout routine is becoming easier and your body is craving a new challenge. Exploring different fitness methods, such as group classes or a new dumbbell routine, can be exciting to throw into the mix. Speaking with a personal trainer or roaming through Pinterest and Instagram is also a great way to explore different ways to challenge your body and put you closer to your goal.
- Measure your Transformation: Falling in love with the process is half the battle. It’s during the journey to the goals where real change takes place. Documenting your progress bi-weekly or monthly with pictures of yourself, measurement logs, scale checks, or rep counts are visual ways to see that you have become stronger and leaner and are on the right track.
