It's a tale as old as time, literally. New Year, New You! It is the start of the New Year and like most individuals, it is time to make those New Year’s resolutions. The history of creating resolutions and celebrating a new year dates back more than 4,000 years, to the ancient Babylonians. While theirs were promises made to their gods to pay back debts, slowly over the millennia, those promises changed. According to a recent 2020 YouGov poll, “about 11% of gym memberships are purchased in January, of the nearly 30% of respondents who said they are making New Year’s resolutions, 50% said their top resolution was to exercise.”
During a recent study conducted by fitness company Strava, approximately 80% of New Year's resolutions geared towards health and wellness are ditched by January 31st. Good habits, especially ones drastically different from your typical lifestyle, are hard to start and even harder to keep. Research shows that on average, it takes approximately 66 days for a habit to become automatic. People jump into the deep end and its sink or swim.
All that being said, there is hope. Even if your resolutions didn't go according to plan last year, the New Year gives us another chance. Here are 5 tips to keep you from becoming another New Year casualty statistic:
5 Tips For Setting New Year’s Resolutions–That Stick!
1. Find a Workout Buddy
Find someone to work out with, and do it! Studies show that having another person help hold you accountable to your fitness goals increases your likelihood of reaching your goals by 95% compared to doing them solo. This is known as the Köhler effect: the psychological phenomenon that states motivation in individuals working out in group or partner settings is greater than alone. Can’t meet in person? Working out virtually is just as beneficial with a partner, too! If you can’t find a buddy and are feeling particularly brave, post your progress online (for virtual workout buddies to see or social media account followers or friends/family alike). Social media can help people feel like they need to hold themselves accountable to those who follow or are friends with them. Let’s hear it for the FightCamp App Leaderboard and Versus Mode!
2. Take Selfies For Success
Yes, while it is great to have a S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timed) goal, sometimes it’s just best to keep it simple. Don't get caught up in the numbers. Most people don't know that the average person’s body weight fluctuates by up to 5 lbs. on an average day. They hop on the scale in the morning and then right before bed and think that they are gaining weight. Don't always use the scale to measure success--take pictures instead! This helps you actually see progress instead of worrying about numbers on a chart or a needle on a scale. Most of the time, you can see slimming, toning, and muscle gains faster in the mirror or full-body selfies than you do on the scale.
3. Set Up Mini-Goals (within an overall goal)
There's nothing wrong with having huge hopes and dreams. The goal is to make it realistic and then further break down that goal into smaller, achievable, target goals to help you get to the big picture. If your goal is to actually lose 30 lbs. (refer to tip number two about weight-loss goals), break it up! Try and lose 5 lbs. by the end of January and so on. Set realistic, timeframe dates to help you celebrate mini achievements and keep you motivated on your path towards the overarching goal. This is how you utilize S.M.A.R.T. as we touched on above. Remember the age-old adage, you can't eat an elephant in a single sitting.
4. Don't Be Afraid To Seek Help
If working out with a buddy isn't an option and you don't know where to begin, try looking for help. Try and find a personal trainer or other gym staff and see if they can tell you where to begin, that's part of their job. Talk to someone working out who may look like they know what they're doing. The key thing is don't be afraid to ask. It may feel extremely intimidating and you may feel they don't want to be bothered, which is a big misconception, go ahead and ask away. We have never met a gym-goer who didn't want to help another individual on their fitness journey. If you're still on the fence, go online! With the prevalence of social media, there is an endless supply of online knowledge - just make sure to look for credibility when doing so.
Pro Tip: If you're joining FightCamp, check out our Facebook Community. It’s a great resource to ask questions, seek suggestions, and have professional trainers and members support you in reaching your goals. The experience, knowledge, and professionalism of the FightCamp Trainers are second to none. But it's not always just about the knowledge either. At FightCamp, we emphasize our values too: empathy and authenticity are definitely at the heart of our company and we are always here to help out anyone in need!
5. Don't Beat Yourself Up!
If you slip up, overindulge on the weekend, or miss a workout, don’t worry--it happens to all of us. Going all out in the first three weeks of your fitness journey can lead to burnout. If you do slip up, the goal is to change your mindset. Realize the mishap, own it, reevaluate, and recalculate if need be. The key is to get back on the path. Take it day by day.
There you have it, FightCamp’s top five (5) tips on how to hold yourself accountable in sticking with your fitness New Year’s Resolutions. Hopefully, these fitness hacks will help you create sustainable, long-term goals to help keep you on track even after that first week of the New Year. Life happens, but when the going gets tough, you'll have a playbook to stay on top of your commitment to making yourself healthier and, most importantly, happier.
How To Start
If you’re ready to take on a new challenge, but not sure where to start, check out FightCamp. You can start your boxing and kickboxing training at home with the guidance of professional trainers and a whole community there to cheer you on! Need more convincing? Check out our YouTube Channel for workouts and drills to keep you on track, and our Blog for fitness, wellness, nutrition, and lifestyle content.