The new year is here, and you may be one of the many people who have resolved to work out more or achieve some kind of fitness oriented goal in 2021. While many people abandon these objectives before January is even over, you don’t have to be one of them. Tacara at Westover Hills has some tips to help you stick to your fitness resolutions in 2021.

Find Intrinsic Motivation

Why did you make your fitness goals? We know we should work out for health reasons but your motivation to achieve them needs to be tangible and emotional. If your core reasons to make a fitness resolution are surface level, they are easy to forget. However deeper and more intrinsic motivations are more lasting and helpful. Are you doing it to look better, or to find your confidence? Is it to feel better, or is to live longer and spend more time with loved ones? Think about your “why” thoroughly and write down up to three strong reasons you want to commit to fitness. After you write your motivations, put them somewhere you will be confronted by them often – like a bathroom mirror or a vision board.

Build in Accountability

One of the best ways to make a new habit or behavior stick is to establish accountability. And the easiest way to do that is to find a friend who can be your guardian angel, so to speak. It’s easy to make excuses to yourself., but when someone else is there to call you out and motivate you to get going, it’s harder to give up. If you do not have anyone in your personal life that comes to mind, there are a lot of online options such as the Get Motivated Buddies subreddit, to find an accountability partner for fitness, going to the gym, or overall weight loss goals.

Flex Your Way to Success

Self-discipline is hard, but think of it like a muscle. When you work out a muscle you start with a small weight and gradually increase to make that muscle stronger. Use that same mentality with your self-discipline. Flex it daily in small ways, and gradually it will grow stronger! Don’t immediately decide that you will workout for two hours every day, and then beat yourself up if that turns out to be unachievable. Set manageable goals and milestones, celebrate your successes, and be kind to yourself if you don’t always accomplish everything on your list on schedule. As you work on making fitness a habit, establishing the right mindset is key.

If you are looking for more ways to stay active this year, make sure to check out the Tacara at Westover Hills blog.