Start well, end better, happy new you!

Happy Fit Friday! It’s the last FRIDAY of the YEAR!! Three more days to gooooo!!!

If you’ve been following my antics on the socials, you’ll know I’ve been doing a “run a mile a day” challenge, (cue happy titi faces below!). Just a mile right? Seriously, it really has been a CHALLENGE, mentally and physically. Oh the days when I just wanted to curl up and eat a bowl of sweet popcorn. Sigh. So far, there were 5 days I didn’t do the 1 mile or make my 10,000 step daily minimum but there were days I’d run 4 or more miles. So, well, balance. I do challenges like this now and again,  to push and keep me accountable to myself, and to figure what I like/don’t like too. You can read about some of my previous challenges here.

Slugging out the daily miles, alongside my workouts got me thinking….it’s also “THAT” time of the year….you know what I mean.

Come January 1st, I’ll start exercising, get into running, join a gym, go to the gym more often, workout more, eat healthier, get fitter, lose x weight by y date …..

…. any of this sound familiar?! Are you one of those who make these New Year Resolutions? No, no, no I’m not here to fit shame you. Instead, I have some tips (ok 5 actually) that I think can help. You know how I do. But first, I have 5 questions……. 

1. Have you found the gym/studio you plan to join?
2. Have you checked it out and confirmed its right for you? Price, atmosphere etc etc
3. Will you do classes or just use the machines? How many times a week will you go
4. Have you bought or dusted off your clothes/shoes ready to HIIT it (forgive the pun!) come Jan 1st?
5. If you plan to “home fitness it” – have you got your mat, weights, jump rope, videos or whatever tools you need? Have you got you training programme to hand?

Bonus biggie question:  what actual CHANGES will be you making to your LIFESTYLE to “eat healthier” or incorporate “that exercise’?! Less sugar, less salt, health checks etc etc. 

Ok, so it’s more than 5 questions! Humour me, I’ll keep this short and sweet.

January 1st is THREE DAYS away people!! I’m saying it again for good measure because we say a lot of things we’ll do in the heat of the moment but when it gets hot, we cool off.

Fitness Resolutions are easy to make, sticking to them is harder!! There is always a SURGE of gym memberships in January. Many don’t make it past the end of January, drop out in February or quit totally within five months. While still paying for it! Don’t be a statistic.

“Resolute” (definition) – admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering. 

Are you making resolutions or are you resolute?

It’s either you haven’t thought through your brilliant idea/resolution/to do/goal (through (Organisational Change Management Consultant Titi is thinking) or you really haven’t found what you enjoy, what will work for your lifestyle (smilefit Titi’s thoughts!). 

Note, I said “lifestyle” – smilefit is a lifestyle – find what you love to do, make it part of your lifestyle, do what you love to do and be happy! Simples.

So my 5 tips… and I’ll stick to just 5 for now, to help make that resolution “stick” as you go into the New Year (drum roll)….

1. Make “small tweaks” to your lifestyle instead of drastic massive changes – less sugar, less salt vs I will stop all sugar, carbs, alcohol etc.
2. Try different things to find what you’d love to do for the long term
3. Don’t make a big deal out of it, just start doing something, do what you can.
4. Set “action” goals not conditional ones – I will exercise 3x a week vs I will lose 30lbs by May.
5. Have a tracking system to keep you accountable – calendar, app, piece of paper, same time of the day, same day of the week etc…

Most of all, be consistent, remember your why for starting, enjoy the process and it will reward you!!!!!

If you don’t believe exercise is good for you, you won’t do it. If you don’t enjoy working out/running, you won’t put your heart into it. Frankly that goes for ANYTHING. Ooh, that’s a good one, think of your heart.

Will you be resolute to see your resolutions to the end?

Start well, end better and get to a happy new you!

That’s how you live a smilefit! Start now, smilefitnow 🙂

Three cheers for 2019, wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Toodles

Ttx

Ps, I just got word today that I was selected as a member of the 2019 PRO Compression Ambassador Team! These are the long socks I wear to run that you see in all my photos, including the cover photo which I had planned to use for this blog before I found out! Stay tuned for details.

• You can find out more about me on http://www.smilefitnow.com
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