In 2008 Resolve to PLAN for Your Health

Contributed by Joe Bocek, Fitness Director SPORT FIT Severna Park

Here we are, it’s 2008 and once again we find ourselves making those New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe this year they will stick! You know, the usual list: Exercise, Eat Better, Clean Out the Garage, Finish that Home Improvement Project… How many of those got scratched off the list last year? If you are one of the lucky ones, maybe one or two were completed. The truth is, we just don’t stick to all our resolutions. So this year, let’s try something different: more focused and better defined goals.

In most cases, we are set up to fail by having grand yet vague resolutions. For example: “Exercise.” What does that mean? If I exercise once in 2008, does that count? How about if I take a walk once a month for the year? Or does that mean I must hit the gym for 3 hours a day 6 days a week? The problem here is that none of these will work. We must have a more detailed goal and for that we must have a plan. Resolution Number One for 2008 should be to PLAN!

How about resolving to go for a walk for 20 minutes a day, three days a week and every month increase the time about 2-5 minutes until your walks are about 35-40 minutes in length. You may also try joining a gym with a plan of going to a group exercise class two times a week. Another designed goal could be to work with a personal trainer diligently for any given time from a few sessions to as often as it takes for you to reach your desired fitness target.

You may want to try to schedule time to workout during the week - every week - and treat each workout like it is a very important doctor’s appointment, something that cannot be missed. This way, you are less likely to let excuses get in the way of gym time. Starting simple with a narrowed directive gives you something more concrete to stick to.

We can apply this same thinking to “Eating Better.” If you currently have fast food every day, eating better could be something as simple as not getting a milkshake with your value meal. While this is a good start, it may not be enough for you to see substantial change in your physical appearance or overall health. How about this: no food from fast food restaurants. That way you must either prepare your own food, or eat somewhere that has healthier options. Or you could go the extra mile and try something like avoiding fried foods or eating a salad as one of your meals every day. Again, it is just a little more focused and gives you something more tangible to abide by.

Remember, if our goals are too grand or unclear, how can we expect to stick to them? This year, let’s try creating resolutions that are better defined, simple, and clearer to follow. That way cleaning out the garage won’t be the only time you spend exercising this year.