After January’s Motivation: Revaluating Health Resolutions in February

On January 2nd, the gym is packed with people decked out in shiny new fitness gear, hitting the equipment hard and attending classes in droves. By February, however, New Year resolutions tend to be forgotten, and the regulars are the only people left in the gym. Why is it exactly that the good intention of getting into shape and becoming healthier can only last for about four weeks? Does it have to be that way?

For most people, hopping on the “New Year’s Resolution” bandwagon is great for setting goals, but not so much for when it comes to following through with them. Honestly, if it were just a regular goal or plan, most people would probably have an easier time of sticking to it.

The truth is, a resolution cannot change your life, and making drastic life altering resolutions is a recipe for disaster. Small resolutions are actually some of the best ideas, whether it is cutting down on certain foods, getting out of your homes and apartments more, or simply to enjoy life more. Taking everything one day at a time, especially when it comes to fitness, is one of the best ways to meet your goals.

So what is the one thing you could do today that is in line with your goal? It doesn’t have to be anything major or even take up a lot of time. You don’t have to spend two hours at the gym or eat only tofu and bean sprouts all day. How about having a healthy breakfast, or taking your dog on a slightly longer walk? Park further away from the entrance to the grocery store or take the stairs? These little things can actually add up relatively quickly at the end of the day and the end of the month. Pretty soon, you might feel like going on a hike rather than a walk, and you’ll start to crave fresh vegetables and lean protein rather than that bag of chips.

When it comes down to it, it really does not matter if you’ve started out the month of February significantly more slowly than you did on January 2nd. It doesn’t matter if you’ve “fallen off the wagon” or even gone in the exact opposite direction of where you want to be heading (late night ice cream binges anyone?). All that matters is that you at least start facing in the right direction, taking baby steps towards your goal. January may be over, but you still have 11 months left in 2012!

Post by Emma Crawford.