Guest Blog: New Year's Fitness Plans You Can Stick To

Motivation is often one of the biggest hurdles to overcome when planning a fitness resolution, because it can't actually be planned for. You may find yourself too busy and tired, not in the right mood, or having just forgotten. A week from now, a month from now, eventually it happens to almost everybody and a resolution to stay fit is one that constantly requires a lot of work, making it easier than most things to lose motivation for. The key is setting off in the right direction, finding a way to keep motivated, and changing your daily routine: 1. Define your goals "I want to lose weight" is vague. "I want to eat healthier" or "I want to build muscle" are almost as bad. Try to define exactly what you want to achieve, a specific target you can define, such as:

• Move down a dress size
• Be able to do 100 press-ups in one go
• Run a 10k race
• Lose a stone of weight

With these in mind, you can start to plan what you will need to do in order to achieve these goals. The benefit of having a specified goal is that you will know whether or not you have achieved it. 2. Measure everything By this, I don't mean that you need weigh yourself every single day, for example. I simply mean that you need to keep a record of everything you are doing, so you can judge your progress. If you go to the gym, make sure to keep a note of all the exercises you do: the number of sets and reps, what weight/distance and how long you work out for. Rather than simply working out until you've had enough, you need to have a set plan that you know you need to complete. Then, once you've become comfortable with your routine, push yourself a bit further by increasing the difficulty of your exercises - which will allow you to truly progress. Try to measure your overall goal around once a week also, so if you are looking to move down a dress size, measure your waist once a week at the same time and note that down too. If you can see progress, you are much more likely to stick with your fitness plan. [caption id="attachment_46" align="alignnone" width="300"] Apps and gadgets can help you keep track of your progress.*[/caption] 3. Concentrate on your form When you are working out, concentrate on form, making sure you aim to complete every exercise correctly. This will have the biggest impact, and will ensure you don't injure yourself - so put your ego aside and only perform exercises you can complete properly. Similarly, if you injure yourself whilst exercising - in the gym or on the sports field, make sure you take some rest and try to recover your injury before proceeding. Try to see a physio if you can to check if there is any long-term damage, and they may give you some exercises to help rehab the injury. Getting injured is one of the main reasons people stop working out, so it makes sense to minimise the risk. 4. Work out with a partner If you know someone with a similar New Year's resolution to yours, why not suggest getting together once or twice a week and working out together? Not only does it alleviate work out boredom and make it easier to stay motivated and on-task, but that second person will be counting on you to be there. Whether it be a friend, spouse, or personal fitness trainer, making yourself accountable and knowing you have someone who's relying on you to get moving makes it easier to do. It can also provide you with some competition. Even if you can't find a work-out buddy or afford a personal trainer, talk about your fitness plans with anyone who will support you. Talk about your resolve to better yourself and how you plan to do it, and the peer pressure will keep you motivated. 5. Join a local sports league Just like working out with a friend,  joining a local sports league will help re-enforce a sense of commitment through regular games and weekly scheduling. Team sports are also one of the most motivational forms of fitness there is, enjoyable to play but exciting and adrenaline-boosting even just to watch. That weekly schedule can also quickly become habitual, which is exactly what you should be aiming for with a resolution to improve your fitness. Personal enjoyment and developing new habits are two of the primary key factors for staying motivated. 6. Build your routine around your life If you try to force your life to fit your exercise routine, you are asking for trouble. If it means you can no longer make the weekly pub quiz, get home for dinner or pick the kids up from school, you will only start to annoy people who rely on you, and the negative pressure will eventually affect your ability to complete your exercises. Build a realistic fitness routine, one that is part of your everyday life as much as eating is. If you know you don't have the time or money to go to the gym, buy some fitness equipment for the home and work out when you want to. However you manage it, making fitness a part of your routine is the key to making it stick. Patrick Johnson works for Go Mammoth, a sports and social club aiming to make fitness fun. When he isn't playing sport, Patrick can be found...watching sport.