10 Tips for Keeping New Year's Resolutions.

Resolutions, Goals, Strategic Plan; whatever you call it, make this the year you challenge yourself to make healthy decisions.

We hope that you will include us in your journey. 
  
Chances are that sometime in your life you've made a New Year's resolution and broken it. This year, try these tips toincrease your chances of sticking to your resolution.
 
Here are 10 tips to help get you started.

1. Be realistic -The surest way to fall short of your goal is to make it unattainable. Strive for a goal that is attainable, for example, instead of saying that you will lose a specific amount of weight, commit to increasing the number of workouts per week by one visit.

2. Plan ahead - Don't wait until the last minute to plan a visit to the gym as you are more likely to base your plans on how you're feeling that particular day. Create a weekly or monthly workout schedule.

3. Outline your plan - Decide how you will deal with temptation. This could include calling on a friend for help, practicing positive thinking and self-talk or reminding yourself how your bad habit effects you.

4. Make a "pro" and "con" list - It may help to see a list of items on paper to keep your motivation strong.  

5. Talk about it - Don't keep your resolution a secret. Tell friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or improve your health. The best case scenario is to find yourself a buddy who shares your New Year's resolution and motivate each other.

6. Reward yourself - Celebrate your success by treating yourself to something that you enjoy that does not contradict your resolution. If you've been sticking to your promise to eat more healthily, for example, perhaps your reward could be going to the pictures with a friend (without the popcorn).

7. Track your progress - Keep track of each small success you make toward reaching your overall goal. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and small accomplishments will help keep you motivated.

8. Don't get too stressed - Obsessing over the occasional slip will not help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take each day one at a time.

9. Stick to it - Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. Your new healthy habits will become second-nature very quickly.

10. Keep trying - If your resolution has totally run out of steam by mid-February, don't despair. Start over again! There's no reason you can't make a "New Year's resolution" any time of year.

Source:about.com

5 Tips to help you stick with it.

From Ben Montague, Club Director, Lifestyle Health & Fitness.

1) Set attendance goals
Goal-setting sounds obvious, but most of us set results-based goals, such as losing weight or increasing our fitness. Whilst this is important, it’s also a good idea to set an attendance goal. Like all goals, this needs to be measurable, realistic and achievable. When I was a personal trainer I’d set a target of 10 visits per month for new clients. Most of them achieved this, in which case we’d re-set their attendance goal. But be warned, new members often become unstuck because of their initial over enthusiasm. So our advice is start small, be smart, and set yourself an achievable goal of coming to the club at least twice a week.

2) Eat healthy and well
Good exercise and good eating habits go hand-in-hand. A good nutritional plan will help you stick to your exercise plan from both a psychological and physiological point of view. When we’re eating better, we tend to feel better about ourselves. And good nutrition, in conjunction with regular exercise, will accelerate your results – which can be the greatest motivator of all.

3) Find a form of exercise you enjoy
If you view exercise as a chore it’s always going to be difficult to make it an integral part of your lifestyle. That’s why we recommend our Group Exercise classes. It’s a proven fact that members who participate in our Group Exercise classes have a much better attendance rate than those who don’t. Why? Because it happens at a scheduled time and they enjoy the social buzz. But if that’s really not your thing why not have a chat with one of our gym instructors? It might be time to get a programme upgrade to keep your workouts fresh and interesting.

4) Exercise with others
Whether it’s with a friend, one of our Results-Based Trainers, or in a group, exercising with someone else can help keep coming to the club. Having an appointment creates an obligation with the added benefits of camaraderie and a bit of healthy competition. So, if you’re new to the club and would like to meet other members, come along to one of our social events or sign up for a team training course or another members’ challenge.

5) Be organised
My final tip is very simple but highly effective in helping you stick to your exercise plan. Simply making it a priority on your life-list, and scheduling it into your daily/weekly routine will go a long way to helping you get it done. So plan your workout times at the start of each week/month and stick these on your fridge. It’s also a good idea to monitor and record your exercise sessions. Recording all your exercise creates a positive feeling of achievement even before the physical results start speaking for themselves.