Setting yourself up for a great Year – Part 1.
New year, new fitness goals. It is often the most used resolution but many people fall short by mid Jan! In this post, I will outline why and provide brief tips for making this year even better (it shouldn’t be hard!).
As a gym owner in the private sector, I can certainly say that the response from our members when we were forced to temporarily close due to Covid-19 blew us away. What I realise on reflection is that private sector facilities are truly family and community-driven.
Big commercial facilities cannot say the same. This is because our smaller facility with smaller numbers allows us the opportunity to know every member/athlete in our facility on a more than first name basis. We develop a relationship with our members, so much so that they will bring their newborn baby in to greet the staff and regularly refer their family and friends; not because they save on signing up fees, but because they truly want the best for them.
In this first of a two-part blog post, I will go through some strategies to help set you up for a great year.
During the toughest period in our existence, we went above and beyond for our members and came out better because of them. I’ve learned over the years to always take care of people and if you have good people they will reciprocate when given the chance. My point?
Find the right place
Find a facility that will go above and beyond for you, move away from commercial facilities where you are nothing more than just a number, and find a second home. Yes, you’ll pay slightly more, but with a privately owned facility, you will make friends, become part of a family, and as a result be held accountable for your actions every time. This will set you up for success and as such, the price is definitely worth the investment.
Identify your Why!
If there was a year to be healthy, it was 2020, as you would have been thrown a few challenges, and being mentally and physically equipped to deal with that is so invaluable you don’t realise it.
Being healthy through exercise has so many benefits, there simply isn’t the time to list them all, but trust me (and a plethora of scientific evidence) when I say fitter, healthier people have fewer mental health issues, are more productive, physically stronger, deal with adversity better and are generally happier than the sedentary counterparts.
Finding your “why” is incredibly important and different for everyone. It is the reason you get out of bed and go for that run/ride, or hit the gym, or do a yoga or Pilates class. ‘
To find your “why” ask yourself why you started to train in the first place? Is it because your doctor said you’re slightly overweight or you have high blood pressure? Is it because you want to increase muscle mass? Is it because a close family member suffered from mental health issues and you heard exercise can help prevent this?
Whatever it may be, it’s personal to you and should be what keeps the fire ignited inside. Sometimes the flame will dim, that’s normal, just as long as it stays lit you’ll get through “motivational” lapses.
Be prepared for the journey
Just as important as your “why” is understanding that you can’t win at being healthy- You are not crowned the winner if you achieve 100 health points over 10-years (made up numbers and time frame of course) There is no endpoint to health and the sooner you appreciate the journey for what it is, the more likely you are to succeed.
I say this because the motivation to win an actual game of local netball, for example, will keep you fit for the season, and if you are the team on top of the table in 6-months, great. However, once the season is over your motivation to continue exercising can start to fade, so how do you help this?
Again, go back to your “why”. Write it down and stick it somewhere, just for you. However remember: your “why” is different to “what” or “how” you do it.
You exercise because you want to be fitter for football or netball and that’s your “why”. You achieve that by running or going to the gym (this is “what” you do)
An important note, especially for athletes is that you shouldn’t define yourself by what you do, because if suddenly you can’t play or perform anymore for whatever reason, your motivation can quickly slip away and if that’s all you ever did, you can feel a loss of your identity.
I’ve seen many ex-professional athletes struggle with weight gain or turn to drugs once their career is over, partly due to this loss of identity (I’m a football player, that’s who I am), but now they can’t be that anymore they don’t know what to do.
So, my long-winded point is to understand that health is a journey with no endpoint. Set small goals along the way to help you stay on track (which I’ll talk about next), but the overarching theme is to live healthier so you can live longer with minimal issues.
Stay tuned for part two where I will go through some more valuable ways to help you achieve success and exceed your health and fitness goals.
Book in with a coach who can create an individualised program based on your own goals and ability and who can keep you accountable on your journey.
STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME
Subscribe to our blog for updates, expert tips and useful information.MORE POSTS
Is Strength training safe for young kids?
Is safe-training safe for kids? At what age should kids start strength training? Read our blog to find out.
READ MORE
Setting Yourself Up For A Great Year – Part 2
In my last blog post, I offered some tips on setting yourself up for a great year. In part 2, I go through a few more to ensure you create an environment and mindset for success. Choose easy goals – YOU don’t get paid for being fit! (athletes excluded) I’ll keep this section […]
READ MORE
