Without fail, every January dozens and dozens of people finally put their gym pass to use or sign up for a new one. Of course, this is because of the whole “New Year, New Me” resolutions they make. But give it a few days, or weeks, and the crowd at the gym begins to dissipate like smoke in the wind.
If you’re one of the many who have decided to make 2016 all about a healthier life, we applaud you. And, we here at the Julian Walker Studio in NYC want to give you some tips and tools to keep your resolve well into the next new year, and then on.
To help make 2016 your year, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite tips to make that fitness resolution stick:
- Be specific with your goals: Resolutions should be both specific and firm. Write down the resolution or goal that you made, and read it every day. Make sure that you set easy and achievable targets for yourself: it might be your weight, or the number of push-ups that you can do in a go. You need something concrete to work towards. You’ll lose focus with vague resolutions.
- Make your resolutions manageable: A huge resolution like “run 1,000 miles in a year” might be more than a little intimidating. Even breaking that down, 19.2 miles in a week sounds scary still. But 2.8 miles a day might seem manageable – even doable.
- Positive reinforcements: If you achieve your goals every day or every week, treat yourself. And not with food. Buy yourself a new pair of shoes or pay for a new workout class. Let your body know that it has done something awesome and celebrate the little victories.
- Have clear motives: You should not go to the gym just for the sake of going in there. Whether that be a specific physical goal (six-pack abs or squat 150 pounds) or lifestyle goals (better health = better life), consider what prompted and inspired you to make this resolution in the first place.
- Do not hesitate in asking assistance: While we highly recommend making an appointment with a private trainer access if you’re new to TRX training, we also encourage you to ask for assistance even if you’re working on your own or in a class. Suspension and functional base training can be intimidating at first, and it’s better to ask for help and do it correctly, than to end up injured.
- Schedule time for exercise: The great thing about working out with a TRX suspension system is that it offers a full-body workout. That means that while you may spend a little extra time at the Julian Walker Studio per workout, since you’re working your entire body each time, you only need to schedule your workouts a few times a week. No matter how many days you do decide to work out though, actually pencil in your time so that it becomes a priority.
- Stay interested: One of the best things about a personal trainer like Julian Walker is that he’ll design a workout routine that’s personalized to your goals, fitness level and body. Even better, he’ll change things up to keep your body guessing and you interested.
- Be accountable: Having a private trainer means you have a scheduled appointment every week (or multiple times a week) you have to show up for. Not only that, but your trainer will be able to tell if you’ve been putting in the work (or slacking off) between sessions – which holds you accountable. Make that accountability even stronger and pay your trainer or the gym up front.
- Use technology: There are a number of applications on your mobile that can assist you in your fitness endeavors. Whether it’s a calendar (to keep track of your scheduled workouts), a calorie counter or a run tracker, use them to maintain your healthy lifestyle even outside the gym.
- Finally, hire a personal trainer: As hinted at in #5, #7 and #8, a personal trainer is one of the best tools you can find in helping you achieve your New Year resolution. For the best in private trainer access and TRX training in Murry Hill, Flatiron, Manhattan and Midtown East, schedule a time for personal training, duet training or semi-private training and get started on the Julian Walker Fitness System and TRX training right away.